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EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS; 




Galileo. Peter the Great. 

SXSCOKD SERISS. 



DEPPIWG'S 



EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS; 



COMPRISING 



DELINEATIONS 



MANNERS AND CUSTOHS OF VJtRIOVS NATIONS. 



SECOND SERIES. 



^.■: ^ 




A NEW EDITION, ENLARGED AND IMPROVED, 
WITH SXYENTEEN ENGRAYINGS ON WOOD BY ATHERTON. 



PHILADELPHIA: 

ALEXANDER TOWAR, NO. 19 ST. JAMES STREET. 

HOG AN & THOMPSON, 139| MARKET STREET* 



MDCCCXXXIII. 






/S'ifT, 



C. SHERMAN &. CO. PRINTERS, 

No. 19 &t James Street, Philad. 



CONTENTS. 



First Evening. — Indians of North America — Fur 

trade — Customs — Religion, - - 1 

Second Evening, — Europeans — Russians— Slavery 
of the Peasants — Extensive Power of their Minds 
— their Amusements — Vapour Baths — Russian 
Festivals— Commerce of the Russians v^rith the 
Chinese, ----- 9 

Third Evening, — Norwegians — their Industry — Traf- 
fic in Wood — Christmas — Superstitions of the 
Finlanders, - - - - 31 

Fourth Evening, — Salmon-fishery — Aquatic Birds — 

Swallows' Nests in the Island of Java, - 45 

Fifth Evening, — Chase of the Shamoy — Miners of 
Dalecarlia — Salt Mines of Wielitzka — Mines of 
Saltzburg, - - - - 54 

Sixth Evening, — Holland — ^its Dykes — Canals — 
> Cleanliness— Commerce — Herring fishery — Bru- 
ges, - - - - - 71 

Seventh Evening, — Commerce of Antwerp — Tulipo- 

mania — Speculations of Law, - - 81 

Eighth Evening, — Commerce of Germany — Han- 
seatic League— Invention of Gunpowder— Clocks 
— Watches — C hronometers —Writing — Printing 
— Stereotype — Lithography — Music and Organs 96 



iv CONTENTS. 

Nhith Evening, — Mechanical Genius of the Germans 
— Amber fishery — Copernicus — Galileo — Mora- 
vian Brethren, - " - - 1^^ 

Tenth ^i;ening.~Switzerland— Emigration of the 
Swiss — Shepherds — Tyrolese — Scotch High- 
landers, ,. - - - 133 

Eleventh Evening. — Italy — Venice — Florence — 
Painters— Puppet Shows — Pifferari— Festivals 
of the Church in Italy, . - - 149 

Twelfth £i;e?im^.— Carnival at Venice— Saturnalia 

of the Eomans — Carnival at Rome, - HO 

Thirteenth IJ^emn^.— Institution of religious Festi- 

yals— Christmas at Valencia— in Provence, &;c. 179 

Fourteenth Evening.— Religious processions— Bull- 
fights— Indolence of Spanish people— Merinos 
—Cork-trees, - - " " ^^^ 

Fifteenth Evening.— Commerce of the English— Iron 

Railways— Steam— Gas— Horse-races— Boxing 211 

Sixteenth Evening.— Game of Golf— Christ's Hos- 
pital — Beggar's Club — Irish Linen, - 234 

Seventeenth Evening.- — Ancient Gauls — Tourna- 
ments-Ignorance of the Nobility of the middle 
Ages— The Pont du Card, ^ - 242 



EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 



FIRST EVENING. 




Mr. Oakley was not long absent from his family : on the 
evening after his return, as soon as the tea-service was re- 
moved, Captain Martin drev/ from his portfolio of sketches 
one which afforded the children no little amusement, and 
furnished a text for a discourse of the traveller concerning 
the Indians of North America. 

This picture,* said the Captain, was drawn while I was 
travelling in Canada. It represents some of the Indians 
bargaining with our people, and disposing of their furs for 
English goods of various kinds. The old fellow with a 
beard, in the right foreground, is a Jew of our party, who 
is affecting to be very much horrified at the Indian chief's 
asking him for a fox's skin, about half what we all knew 
it to be worth. The Indian, however, had his eye on a 
particular trinket in the Jew's possession and allowed him 

* See cut above. 

I VOL. II. 1 



» 



2 EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 

to make his own terms till that was obtained, and then he 
became the most impracticable higgler of his whole tribe. 
There were no more bargains made out of his furs. 

Qustav. Is the fur trade an extensive one in Canada? 

Captain M, Very extensive, and taking into considera- 
tion with Canada the rest of British America, it becomes a 
trade of immense importance. You know there are forts 
and trading-houses established in various parts of that vast 
i*egion under the direction of the Hudson's Bay Company. 

Gustav. The persons who carry on this trade must have 
a ilae opportunity for observing the manners and customs 
of the Indians. Are they not a very singular race? 

Captain M, Yes ; they have many peculiarities, 

Edward, What is their appearance? 

Captain M. They are tall and well made men, copper- 
QOloiired, with high cheek-bones, black eyes and straight 
black hair. Formerly some tribes flattened the heads of 
their infants by pressing them between two boards. But 
this, I believe, is not practised now, east of the Rocky 
Mountains. The women are small, short, and ugly, at least 
so far as my observation extended, 

Qustav. What are their employments? 

Captain M. Hunting and fishing in time of peace, and 
hard fighting in time of war. They are very expert hun- 
ters. The little agriculture they carry on is principally 
done by the women. Their sight, smell, and hearing are 
rendered very acute by constant exercise. They trace a 
man through the wood as unerringly as a bloodhound. 

Gustav, Do they still use the bow and arrows ? 

Captain M, Many of them do, and others have muskets 
which they have bought of the whites. Their dress is very 
curious. Some of them w^ ear skins and feathers, and paint 
their faces. 



I 



FIRST EVENING. S 

The Indians never chastise their children, especially the 
boys ; thinking that it would damp their spirits, check theij? 
love of independence, and cool their martial ardour, which 
they wish above all things to encourage. ''Reason," s^y 
they, " will guide our children, when they come to the 
use of it; and before that their faults cannot be very great," 
They avoid compulsory measures, and allow the boys to 
act with uncontrolled freedom ; but endeavour by example, 
instruction, and advice, to train them to diligence and skill 
in hunting; to animate them with patience, courage, and 
fortitude in war; and to inspire them with contempt of 
danger, pain, and death,^ — qualities of the highest ordeif in 
the estimation of an Indian. 

By gentleness and persuasion they endeavour to imbue 
the minds of their children with virtuous sentiments, ac- 
cording to their notions of virtue. The aged chiefs are 
zealous in this patriotic labour, and the squaws give their 
cordial co-operation. 

Ishuchenau, an old Kanza warrior, often admonished 
the group of young auditors who gathered around him of 
their faults, and exhorted them never to tell a lie, and never 
to steal, except from an enemy, whom it is just to injure 
in every possible way. " When you become men," said 
he, "be brave and cunning in war, and defend your huntr 
ing-grounds against all encroachments : never suffer your 
squaws and little ones to want ; protect them and strangers 
from insult. On no occasion betray a friend ; be revenged 
on your enemies ; drink not the poisonous strong-water of 
the white people, for it is sent by the bad spirit to destroy 
the Indians. Fear not death, none but cowards fear to 
die. Obey and venerate old people, particularly your pa- 
rents. Fear and propitiate the bad spirit, that he may do 
you no harm : love and adore the Good Spirit, who made 



4 EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 

US all, who supplies our hunting-grounds, and keeps all 
alive." After recounting his achievements, he was wont 
to add, ''Like a decayed prairie tree, I stand alone : — the 
friends of my youth, the companions of my sports, my 
toils, and my dangers, rest their heads on the bosom of our 
mother. My sun is fast descending behind the western 
hills, and I feel it will soon be night with me." Then 
with hands and eyes lifted towards heaven, he thanked the 
Great Spirit for having spared him so long, to show the 
young men the true path to glory and fame. 

Their opinions, in many instances, are false, and lead to 
corresponding errors in conduct. In some tribes, the young 
person is taught to pray, with various superstitious obser- 
vances, that he may be a great hunter, horse-stealer, and 
warrior ; so that thus the fountain of virtue is polluted. 

The Indians are entirely unacquainted with letters ; but 
they have a kind of picture writing, which they practise 
on the inside of the bark of trees, or on skins prepared for 
the purpose, and by which they can communicate the 
knowledge of many facts to each other. 

The Indian names are descriptive of the real or supposed 
qualities of the persons to whom they belong: they often 
change them in the course of their lives. The young war- 
rior is ambitious of acquiring a new name ; and stealing a 
horse, scalping an enemy, or killing a bear, are achieve- 
ments which entitle him to choose one for himself, and the 
nation confirms it. 

The Indian women are industrious wives and affectionate 
mothers. They are attentive to the comfort of their hus- 
bands, watch over their children with the utmost care and 
tenderness ; and if they die, lament the loss in the most 
affecting manner. 

Some of the medical men pretend to have seen the Great 



FIRST EVENING. O 

Spirit, and to have conversed vi^ith him in some visible 
form, as of a buffalo, beaver, or other animal ; and to have 
received from him some, medicine of peculiar efficacy. The 
animal whose form had appeared is considered to be the 
remedy; and they imitate its cry in making their medical 
applications. The medicine bag, in which these savage 
physicians have a few herbs, entire or pulverized, and 
which they administer with a little warm water, is an in- 
dispensable requisite in Indian medical practice. Indeed, 
the head of every family has his medicine bag, which is a 
place of sacred deposit, and to the sanctity of which he 
commits his most precious articles. The value of its con- 
tents an Indian only can appreciate. 

In every stage of society persons appear who accommo- 
date themselves to the state of the public mind. Of this 
description are the jugglers, conjurers, or powahs, among 
the ignorant and superstitious Indians. They are partly 
medical quacks, partly religious impostors. Many of them 
are dexterous jugglers, and cunning cheats. They pretend 
to foretell future events, and even to influence the weather. 
It is likely that they are often, in some measure, the dupes 
of their own artifices, 

Gustav, Are these Indians pagans ? 

Captain M, Of the religion of the Indians we have no 
full and clear account. Indeed, of the opinions of a people 
who have nothing .more than a few vague and indefinite 
notions, no distinct explanation can be given. On this 
subject the Indians are not communicative; and to obtain a 
thorough knowledge of it would require familiar, attentive, 
unsuspected, and unprejudiced observation. But such ob- 
servation is not easily made; and a few general, and on 
some points uncertain, notices only can be given. 

On looking at the most renowned nations of the ancient 



6 EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 

heathen world, we see the people prostrating themselves 
before innumerable divinities ; and we are ready to conclude 
that polytheism is the natural belief of man, unenlightened 
by revelation. But a survey of the vast wilds of America 
wil) correct this opinion. For there we find a multitude 
of nations, widely separated from each other, all believing 
in One Supreme God, a great and good spirit, the father 
and master of life, the maker of heaven and earth, and of 
all other creatures. They believe themselves entirely de- 
pendent on him, thank him for present enjoyments, and 
pray to him for the good things they desire to obtain. 
They consider him the author of all good; and believe he 
will reward or punish them according to their deeds. 

They believe in inferior spirits also, both good and bad ; 
to whom, particularly to the good, they give the name of 
Manitou, and consider them tutelary spirits. The Indians 
are careful observers of dreams, and think themselves de- 
serted by the Master of life, till they receive a manitou in 
a dream ; that is, till they dream of some object, as a buf- 
falo or beaver, or something else, which they think is an 
intimation that the Great Spirit has given them that object 
as a manitou, or medicine. Then they are full of courage, 
and proud of their powerful ally. To propitiate the mani- 
tou, or medicine, every exertion is made, and every per- 
sonal consideration sacrificed. "I was lately the proprietor 
of seventeen horses," said a Mandan ;."but I have offered 
them all to my medicine, and am now poor." He had 
turned all these horses, which constituted the whole of his 
wealth, loose into the plain, committed them to his medicine, 
and abandoned them for ever. But, although they offer 
oblations to the manitous, they positively deny that they 
pay them any adoration, and affirm that they only worship 
the Great Spirit through them. 



FIRST EVENING. 



They have no regular periodical times either of private 
or public religious worship. They have neither temples, 
altars, stated ministers of religion, nor regular sacrifices ; 
for the jugglers are connected rather with the medical art 
than with religious services. The Indians in general, like 
other ignorant people, are believers in witchcraft, and think 
many of their diseases proceed from the arts of sorcerers. 
These arts the jugglers pretend to counteract, as well as to 
cure natural diseases. They also pretend to predict the 
weather and to make rain ; and much confidence is placed 
in their prognostications and their power. 

The devotional exercises of the Indians consist in singing, 
dancing, and performing various mystical ceremonies, which 
they believe efficacious in healing the sick, frustrating the 
designs of their enemies, and securing their own success. 
They often offer up to the Great Spirit a part of the game 
first taken in a hunting expedition, a part of the first pro- 
duce of their fields, and a part of their food. At a feast, 
they first throw some of the broth, and then of the meat, 
into the fire. In smoking, they generally testify their 
reverence for the Master of life, by directing the first puff 
upwards and the second downwards, or the first to the 
rising, and the second to the setting sun : at other times 
they turn the pipe to every point of the compass. 

They firmly believe in the immortality of the soul, and 
in a state of future retribution : but their conceptions on 
these subjects are modified and tinged by their occupations 
in life, and by their notions of good and evil. They sup- 
pose the spirit retains the same inclinations as when in the 
body, and rejoices in its old pursuits. At times, an Indian 
warrior, when about to kill and scalp a prostrate enemy, 
addresses him in such terms as the following : — 

*'My name is Cashegra: I am a famous warrior, and 



8 



EVENING ENTERTAIN]>IENTS. 



am going to kill you. When you reach the land of spirits, 
you will see the ghost of my father: tell him it was Cashe- 
gra sent you there." The uplifted tomahawk then de- 
scends upon his victim. 

The Mandans expect, when they die, to return to the 
original subterraneous abode of their fathers : the good 
reaching the ancient village by means of the lake, which 
tlie weight of the sins of the bad v/ill render them unable 
to pass. They who have behaved themselves well in this 
life, and been brave warriors and good hunters, will be re- 
ceived into the town of brave and generous spirits ; but the 
useless and selfish will be doomed to reside in the town 
of poor and useless spirits. 

The belief of those untutored children of nature has an 
influence on their conduct. Among them the grand defect 
is an erroneous estimate of good and evil, right and wrong. 
But how much soever we may lament their errors on these 
interesting points, we need not be surprised at them ; for 
how many, even in more enlightened communities, and 
with clearer means of information, can scarcely be said to 
have sounder principles or a better practice ? A reverential 
and gi'ateful sense of the divine perfections and government, 
manifesting itself by a devout regard to his institutions, and 
obedience to his will, by benevolence, integrity, candour, 
and kindness towards men, and by sobriety and industry, 
is too little valued and practised by many who enjoy the 
light of revelation. Hitherto the Indians have learned little 
but vice by their intercourse with white men. 

When Captain Martin had concluded this description of 
the Indians Mr. Oakley promised the children a particular 
account of the fur trade of Canada, on some future occa- 
sion, and the party broke up for the evening. 



( 9 ) 



SECOND EVENING. 




Mr. O. It is now time, I think, that we should amuse, 
ourselves with the Europeans, amongst whom civilization 
has made such astonishing progress. The European may, 
indeed, be looked upon as a being greatly superior to the 
inhabitants of any other part of the globe, and this supe- 
riority may be attributed to the social life he leads. In 
society he is communicative, and even when different na- 
tions are engaged in war with each other the learned of 
either party keep up a friendly intercourse. 

We will begin with a people who have but lately emerged 
into splendid notoriety, and who even now preserve many 
of their ancient Asiatic and barbarous customs. You will 
readily guess I mean the Russians. This people are dis- 
tinguished by a robust constitution capable of resisting the 
cold and rigour of their climate. 

The purity of the air, their simple way of life, abun- 
dance of food, the frequent use of butchers' meat, and per- 



10 



EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 



haps also that of hot baths cause the Russians to attain to 
their full growth at an earlier age than the natives of other 
countries. When an infant begins to make use of its 
limbs, the mother sets it down on the grass to crawl about 
as it pleases, and in her absence its grandmother and little 
brothers and sisters take care of it by turns ; for, in the 
country in particular, fraternal affection is a predominant 
virtue of the Russians. If the infant be healthy, it is ac- 
customed, when six months old, to gruel, and by degrees 
to vegetables and meat, which is of excellent quality all 
over Russia, especially in the towns. Its clothing is sim- 
ple and adapted to the climate, and consists only of a long 
gown of blue linen cloth, unless the weather be very severe. 
In autumn it is changed for a woollen one, made long and 
wide. It is usually the mother and her daughters who 
weave all the cloth that is required for the consumption of 
the family. Children who are strong enough to assist their 
parents in occupations abroad, wear in summer a long linen 
dress. In the villages all the children go barefoot and 
bareheaded, except in the coldest days of winter, and it is 
not uncommon to see them run without shoes through the 
snow. In winter when they go abroad they usually wrap 
themselves up in a sheep's skin; the older ones tie 'strips 
of woollen cloth round their legs, and wear shoe^ made of 
bark. Stockings are not used by the country people ; and 
boots are worn only by such as are in rather easy circum- 
stances. 

Caroline, You forgot, papa, to tell us about the beds of 
the Russian peasants, which, I dare say, are not so soft as 
ours. 

Mr. O. You are very right in that conjecture. The 
Russians are strangers to beds like ours. In summer they 
lie down on a broad bench set against the wall ; and if the 



J 



SECOND EVENING. 11 

night is cool, they cover themselves with their cloth 
gowns. But where do you suppose the whole family 
sleep in winter? 

Charles. Most likely in some very cold place. 

Mr, O. There you are quite out. You imagine, per- 
haps, because the Russian peasant is so inured to the most 
severe cold, that he cares very little where he lies down 
to rest. The very reverse is the fact; he lies upon the 
stove. 

At these words, little Charles burst out a laughing, sup- 
posing that his father was only in joke, 

Mr, Oakley thus proceeded; 

Yes, literally upon the stove ; and, what is still more, 
upon a stove heated like all those of the Russian villagers ; 
that is, to an intense degree, because, being surrounded 
with forests, they have no necessity to be frugal of wood, 
of which each peasant is at liberty to take as much as he 
pleases. The houses of the common people are still made 
of wood ; formerly you might buy them in the markets 
ready made, and you may even now purchase the wood all 
ready prepared, so that it only wants putting together. 
The facility with which the ancient Russians constructed 
their houses produced the following extraordinary event. 
The Siberians, being subdued by the Russians, obstinately 
refused to embrace Christianity; the latter, therefore, re- 
solved on striking their imaginations by a stroke of policy. 
The timber for a chapel was prepared and secretly carried 
to Tobolsk, where the Siberians were encamped in great 
numbers. On the night preceding the Feast of St. Nicho- 
las, the patron saint of Russia, the sacred edifice was 
erected, a bell was hung, and the altar was properly fur- 
nished with everything necessary for the performance of 
the religious ceremony. The Siberians, in the morning, 



12 EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 

were astonished at hearing a sound to which they were 
perfectly strangers, but their surprise may be imagined 
when they saw the building which was not to be seen in 
the preceding evening. The miracle was attributed to 
St. Nicholas ; the Siberians hastened to enter the church, 
and were dazzled by the numerous lights ; a priest in his 
canonicals was officiating, and preaching the Christian 
religion : overcome by terror and astonishment, the Sibe- 
rians hastened to be baptized ; and the little chapel in 
which the ceremony took place is still to be seen. 

Gustav, This was a strange way of converting this 
people. 

Mr. O, True; but it is less objectionable than preach- 
ing a religion of mercy at the point of the bayonet. The 
Russians retain many of their ancient customs : and not- 
withstanding the efforts of Peter the Great to make the 
countrymen relinquish their long beards, they wear them 
to this day. I am not sure whether it would not be a 
cruelty to compel them to part with them, for they are a 
great protection to the throat. 

Among the ancient Russians, a bushy beard and a great 
stomach were considered as particular beauties. When 
the czars gave audience to foreign ambassadors, they se- 
lected the most corpulent men as their attendants, to give 
their court a more majestic appearance. The courtiers 
wore cropped hair ; it was only when they were in disgrace 
that they suffered it to grow ; accordingly, when the peo- 
ple saw a boyard with long hair, they said one to another, 
There goes a nobleman who is out of favour with the czar. 
You see from this fact how widely different are the cus- 
toms of different nations ; since the Franks deemed it the 
highest indignity to have their hair cut off, and distin- 
guished malefactors by this mark. The Russian women 



SECOND EVENING. 13 

had at this time the much more dangerous custom of cov- 
ering the whole face with paint. This fashion, introduced 
into Russia from Constantinople, has unfortunately spread 
among all classes, and become general among the women 
of that country ; although they have almost all a fine com- 
plexion. Among the customs which this country seems 
to have received from the Asiatic nations, is that of beguil- 
ing their leisure hours with telling tales, relatmg old tradi- 
tions, and singing ancient popular songs. The fo idness for 
this amusement is universal, but it is more conspicuous in 
the lower classes. On Sundays, and on the eve of any fes- 
tival, especially in autumn and winter, the common people 
assemble in the houses and listen attentively to the national 
tales which the grandmother or some other person relates 
to the whole family. The subjects of them are the heroic 
achievements and wonderful adventures of their ancestors, 
or events of common life, such as the artful tricks of rogues 
and sharpers. Their songs relate to the same kinds of 
subjects, and are more particularly in vogue in the country. 
There you may frequently see a young girl singing a na- 
tional song with the sweet simplicity of nature, and ac- 
companying herself upon a kind of guitar called balalaika^ 
while her companions dance round her, keeping time with 
the music, and performing a sort of pantomime analogous 
to the words ; so that, without understanding their mean- 
ing, you might guess it from the gestures and motions of 
these rustic actresses. On Sundays and holidays, you hear 
in the villages of Russia the tunes of old songs, accompa- 
nied with pantomimic dances, either for the amusement 
of the performers, or by the command of the nobles and 
gentry; many of whom are as warmly attached to this 
national diversion as their inferiors. It is even probable 
that it was introduced by the nobility of former ages, who, 

VOL. II. 2 



14 EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 

not knowing what to do, and being too ignorant to spend 
their time in a useful manner, assembled their slaves to di- 
vert them, according to the practice of the most effeminate 
nations of the east. 

But the Russians will never make any great progress in 
civilization while they continue, as now, perfect slaves ; 
the master can sell or give away his vassals, and of course 
dispose of their time in whatsoever occupation he pleases. 
Yet they are remarkable for an extraordinary quickness of 
apprehension, and this quality they possess in common 
with all nations who owe their origin to the Sclavonians. 
The Russian peasant, when sent to Petersburg or any 
other great town in order to learn a particular trade, in a 
very short time makes himself master of it; he then returns 
to his land to exercise his talent, either in building, paint- 
ing, &c. &c. 

Even among the workmen, who practise in the superior 
arts, you will see thick clumsy men, dressed in their coarse 
cloth gown, with bark shoes, working at the most delicate 
reliefs or paintings. They do not call themselves artists, 
but keep plodding on, practising what they have been 
*aught, and never attempting to quit their original station. 
Their tools are as simple as their dress. The hatchet 
serves them for most purposes ; with it they chop, they 
saw, they sculpture, they plane, &c. &c. Perhaps there 
is no nation so apt at imitation as the Russians. 

The great lords have chapels ; and they keep skilful 
musical bands, composed of their vassals, whom they have 
caused to be instructed in playing upon different instru- 
ments. Not only are they taught their several trades, but 
even the fine arts by means of blows. 

The Children, Oh, what a shame ! 

Mr. 0. You see, my children, that the people of Rus- 



SECOND EVENING. 15 

sia are still barbarous in some respects, since education it- 
self is imposed in a most painful and ignoble manner. The 
patience of these poor peasants has introduced a kind of 
music very tedious for those who execute it, but very- 
agreeable for those vs^ho hear it. Imaguie to yourself an 
orchestra composed of forty, or sixty, or even eighty musi- 
cians, all playing upon the same kind of horn, though each 
striking one single particular note ; the first, for example, 
always gives the lowest sound, jthe others rising in succes- 
sion a [tone or halftone till they reach the highest sound; 
so that these musicians arranged in a row represent the 
pipes of an organ. As they have only one note to sound, 
the only difficulty is to play that in time and at the proper 
moment; a task more difficult than to go through the tune 
or air upon one instrument. 

Gustav, In this case, then, each plays a different instru- 
ment, which may in fact be called the one a, the next a 
sharp, &c. 

Mr, O, Exactly so. The first horn is ten feet long, and 
the last will be only half a foot : these vassal musicians 
perform their particular tunes with the greatest precision, 
and they say that, in the parties of pleasure of the nobles 
upon the water, the effect of this music is quite entrancing. 

The Russians show themselves equally skilful in the 
study of languages. It is not uncommon to hear children 
of ten or twelve years old speak fluently the German, Eng- 
lish, and French languages. 

The Russians appear to be independent of circumstances, 
for no situation of life seems strange to them. They equally 
brave the greatest heat and the most intense cold, the most 
imminent danger, and the most overwhelming misfortunes; 
and the vassals evince the most perfect resignation and 



16 EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 

submission to the orders of their masters.* When the 
cold is at twenty-five or twenty-eight degrees, the coach- 
men and other domestics wait in the street before the hotels 
where their masters are enjoying themselves ; when there 
are many of them they kindle a large fire ; and, indeed, in 
many parts of Petersburg there are places appropriated to 
this purpose, where fires are regularly kept. But a Russian 
will often content himself with the shelter of his vehicle, 
and stretch himself at his length beneath it. 

But he sometimes finds a more dangerous though warmer 
bed ; he will stretch himself along a horse's back, or extend 
himself upon the crupper of two of these animals, never 
losing his equilibrium. But the Russians are remarkable 
for this faculty of keeping their level, let their position be 
what it will. The intoxicated Russian seldom falls, or if 
he should chance to lose his footing for an instant, he re- 
gains his feet before assistance can be offered to him. The 
risk the workmen incur when building a house terrifies 
those who have been used to see the numerous poles and 
cords and planks which an Englishman employs in erecting 
a scaffold ; the Russian listens with astonishment at the 
friendly caution given him sometimes by a stranger, as he 
stands lightly upon a cornice, a plank, or even apparently 
upon a single lath. 

One would almost suppose the Russian "sought danger as 
an amusement, for his amusements strongly partake of it. 
He cannot live without his ice hills, which were imitated 

* The resignation of the Russian peasant may rather be termed 
apathy^ arising* from the hopelessness of his situation, and the abso- 
lute will of his master. That man can hardly be called resigned 
who is compelled to obedience and submission by the dread of 
punishment, and the certain knowledge that he has no appeal fi'om 
the judgment of his lord. — Translator. 



SECOND EVENING. 17 

in the public gardens of Paris some short time ago. In 
the summer, these sliding hills consist of smooth planks ; 
in the winter they are formed of ice. At Petersburg, they 
are constructed upon the banks of the Neva, and the velo- 
city with which the sledge descends is so great that it 
crosses the river, ascends another hill constructed on the 
opposite side, and then again descends : from morning till 
night these sledges are in motion, and frequently you may 
see them occupied by the same people for hours together. 
The rich are as fond of this amusement as the poorer 
classes ; but they never venture to exhibit in public ; they 
have ice hills erected in their gardens or court-yards. The 
sledges which ascend and descend with such velocity are, 
nevertheless, directed by the skilful Russian with the 
greatest precision, and it is very seldom that any accident 
occurs. 

Another amusement of the Russians is that of the see- 
saw, which you have, perhaps, seen yourselves at some of 
our fairs. It is particularly on the great holidays of Russia, 
such as the week before Lent and at Easter, that these 
swings and see-saws are most seen : and as it is, in fact, 
during their fetes that we can best observe the genius of a 
people, I am the more particular in speaking of them. 

Before, however, I proceed, I must observe, that the 
Russians, though they follow the Greek ritual, nevertheless 
conform in most of their religious customs to the Roman 
Catholic faith, and that in several points they approach 
much nearer than the Catholics to the austere manners of 
the primitive Christians. Their fare during Lent is ex- 
tremely severe, and would be considered a punishment by 
some other nations, who are, unfortunately, too much ad- 
dicted to what we call good living. The Russians, on the 

2 ■* 



18 EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 

contrary, are early habituated to privations, and endure 
them with incredible patience. There have been instances 
of Russian armies, which, destitute of provisions for whole 
days, and exposed to the greatest fatigues, have neverthe- 
less continued their march without a complaint or a 
murmur. The manner in which they are brought up is 
well calculated, as I have already observed, to inure the 
body to all the hardships they are exposed to in the rigor- 
ous climate in which they live. Were it not for this, 
how could a Russian peasant issue from his vapour-bath, 
and, running over the snow, plunge into the first river 
he comes to ? Or how could he pass whole days together 
in the open air, in a frost of twenty -five or thirty degrees, 
with his bosom uncovered, and his beard bristled with 
icicles ? It is not therefore astonishing that the Russian 
should be more indifferent to all the allurements of the 
senses, which very often powerfully influence the natives 
of more genial climates. In the depth of winter, the people 
of Petersburg and Moscow are obliged to eat frozen meat, 
which they purchase at a cheap rate in the markets, where 
heaps of slaughtered animals, stiffened with the cold, are 
seen piled up in strange confusion. During the whole of 
Lent the Russians eat no meat, neither are they permitted 
to dress any of their victuals with butter. The low^r 
classes, at these times, make shift with vegetables and fish, 
often half putrid; and, weak as this food must be for 
their stomach, accustomed to more solid nourishment, they 
would upon no account violate the laws of the church, and 
indulge themselves with better. Brandy is the only luxury 
they add to their miserable fare, and which at this period 
they sometimes drink to excess. As Lent advances, they 
anticipate the rejoicings with which it is to terminate ; 



SECOND EVENING. 19 

they wait with impatience for Easter-eve ; and as this is 
usually the beginning of spring at Moscow, they prepare in 
that city to welcome the return of that agreeable season 
with the most joyous festivity. The night before Easter- 
day, no one goes to bed ; on the contrary, every person 
dresses himself in his best clothes to be in church a little 
before twelve o'clock. The cathedral in particular is 
crowded ; each individual, of what condition soever he 
may be, provides himself on entering the church with a 
candle, and holds it burning in his hand. The assemblage 
of so many lights produces a very fine effect, which con- 
siderably increases the profound silence till the clock 
strikes twelve. The officiating priest instantly exclaims 
three times with a loud voice, Christos woskres I which 
signifies Christ is risen. These words are the signal for 
the commencement of the festival, and a general bustle 
succeeds. Every one turns to his neighbour, whom he 
embraces without regard to sex or rank, and accompanies 
the fraternal kiss with the salutation, Christos ivoskres I 
To this the other replies, Istinse woskres! — he is risen 
indeed. To me this custom was extremely impressive; 
because it seems calculated to impress upon mankind that 
they are all brethren, and to make them forget the ine- 
quality of their condition, directing their attention to the 
joyful event of the resurrection of Christ : an event which 
completed the salvation of the poor as well as of the rich, 
and also the triumph of the divine religion over the guilty 
machinations of wicked men. 

While the whole congregation in the church are giving 
themselves up to joy, all the bells in the city begin to ring, 
and bands of singers and priests chant the praises of the 
risen Saviour. The tunes of these hymns are very ancient 
and appropriate ; they are grave and solemn, and inspire a 



20 EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 

devotion perfectly consonant to the majesty of the place.* 
As to musical instruments, the Russians never use them in 
their churches, because they consider this custom as inde- 
corous, as the same instruments are employed in all pro- 
fane diversions. The bells continue ringing, and the peo- 
ple of the lower class hasten to purchase for a trifle the 
pleasure of pulling the rope for a few moments. At day- 
break, eggs and other kinds of food, among the rest, 
pascha, which is made of crudied milk, are carried to the 
altar ; the priest blesses them, and from that moment the 
Russians are at liberty to eat all sorts of meat without dis- 
tinction. Accordingly, no sooner is the service over than 
the people repair to their houses to regale themselves upon 
those things from which they have been obliged to abstain 
during Lent. They then prepare to pay the accustomed 
visits, and from daylight till noon the streets are thronged 
with coaches and pedestrians ; on all sides are heard the 
edifying words, Christos ivoskres I always accompanied 
with the fraternal kiss, and the rattling of eggs painted red. 
Some persons also present their friends with artificial eggs, 
of very ingenious workmanship and considerable value, 
made of glass or porcelain and adorned with elegant paintings. 

In order that they may have a plentiful supply of eggs 
at Easter, the Russian peasants keep their fowls during the 
whole winter in the aj^artments which they themselves in- 
habit. 

Edw, Why do they give one another eggs at Easter, 
papa 



^a? 



* The church called Nikiti Mutschenik, at Moscow, is remark- 
able for the fine singing* with which divine service is there accom- 
panied. It is built in such a manner as to give a powerful effect 
to the sound of the voice; for which reason it is attended on Sun- 
days and holidays by people of the first distinction. This choir of 
vocal music was founded and endowed by a merchant of the city. 



. SECOND EVENING. 21 

Mr, O. This custom is of very high antiquity; and is 
practised not only by Christians, but by many nations on 
whom the light of Christianity has not yet shone. The 
Jews place eggs upon their paschal tables ; and the Per- 
sians, on the first day of the year, present each other with 
eggs painted, gilt, and adorned in various ways. This 
shows that the practice is derived from Paganism, and 
perhaps served originally to denote the beginning of the 
world. 

The afternoon is devoted to rest. The people go to 
bed very early, to make amends for the loss of sleep the 
preceding night, and to recruit their strength that they may 
be able to take part in the festivities of the following days. 
On the morrow, when persons of some distinction receive 
the visits of their acquaintance, the people throng to the 
public places, especially to the rampart of Selainogorod, 
which is the chief theatre of their amusements. Prepara- 
tions have been made to receive and divert them in their 
way; swings, puppet-shows, rope-dancers, booths for re- 
freshments are all to be found there, and contribute to pro- 
duce the most diversified and singular spectacle that can be 
conceived. The people enter heartily into these amuse- 
ments: the swings, which, as you know, from our early 
conversations, are a favourite diversion of the Russians, 
are kept continually going. 

The Russian is naturally hospitable to strangers. For- 
merly when a person of rank died, his relations, during six 
weeks, distributed much alms. The merchant, when he 
opened his shop in the morning, began his 'daily occupation 
by purchasing a certain number of loaves, which he divid- 
ed and distributed among the poor. And, agreeable to an- 
cient usage, the Czar, on the first day of Easter, repaired 
to the prison of the city, where he addressed each captive 
thus ; 



22 



E^^NING ENTERTAINMENTS. 



''Jesus Christ is risen also for you,^'^ He presented 
them at the same time with a new pelisse, and dinner was 
provided for them at his expense. This affecting custom 
was worthy of the first ages of Christianity, when all men 
looked upon themselves as brothers. 

I shall conclude this sketch of the manners of the Rus- 
sian nation with a remarkable feature; which is, the great 
authority that parents among them possess over their chil- 
dren; an authority founded on ancient lav/s, and a venera- 
ble custom which may be traced back to the patriarchal age. 
This authority ceases not till the death of the parents ; for 
as long as they live, their children remain dependent on them. 
The sons continue, even after they are married, to reside 
in their father's house, and submit in all domestic concerns 
to the direction of their parents, who are the sole posses- 
sors of the property of their family, and maintain their 
children and their children's children, if they have any. 
It is frequently the case, that a son more than fifty or sixty 
years old, and already a grandfather, as yet possesses no- 
thing in his own right, but is solely dependent on the will 
of his parents. This state of submission may be thought 
rather hard; but it must be considered, that this rigid cus- 
tom prevents many crimes and calamities of which we 
unfortunately behold too many examples. 

I cannot proceed further in my description of Russian 
manners, without drawing your attention particularly to 
the astonishing progress of civilization to which this peo- 
ple have arrived during the last century. When we look 
at Petersburg, arnl reflect that the spot upon which it is 
built was a morass ; that it is now one of the finest ci- 
ties in Europe; that the rock, upon which the magnifi- 
cent statue of Peter the Great is erected, was drawn from 
a morass of Finland; when we look at the wonderful 



SECOND EVENING. 23 

church of Casan, the pillars of which are composed of sin- 
gle blocks of granite, fifty feet high; the numerous palaces, 
the quays of granite, the fine temples, and the public esta- 
blishments for education, we naturally ask from whence 
and from what supernatural aid did one century produce 
such wonders ? Is there any one of you can answer the 
question ? 

Gustavus and Caroline. From Peter the Great,* papa. 

Mr. O. Yes, my children. When Peter ascended the 
Russian throne, his subjects were in a state of barbarism, 
in comparison with the other nations of Europe. They 
were strangers alike to the arts and sciences, as well as to 
manufactures; and as ignorance is the parent of vanity, 
they imagined themselves to be the most enlightened and 
polished nation in the world, because they never visited 
any foreign country. Peter had for his preceptor a man 
of great erudition and considerable talents. He frequent- 
ly related to his young pupil what had struck him as 
remarkable and praiseworthy among other nations, and he 
gradually excited in the prince a strong desire to introduce 
among his subjects the milder manners and the arts 
of foreign countries. His first step was, to form a com- 
pany of young Russians, whom his preceptor instructed 
in the tactics of the other nations of Europe. At this 
time, it should be observed, Peter was no more than four- 
teen years old. Into this company he entered as a com- 
mon drummer, mounted guard regularly like the others, 
and lived on his bare pay ; and he rose in rank, step by 
step, without passing over any of the inferior gradations. 
He had long formed the design of travelling to gain infor- 
mation; and in 1696, at the age of twenty-four, he set out 

* See cut of the head of the Czar on page 9. 



24 EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 

from Moscow. But his tour was not, as is usually the 
case with princes, a party of pleasure ; with him it was a 
school, which the indolent and the weak would term a 
school of adversity. The first country which he visited 
was Holland. At Saardam, as you know, he worked as a 
common carpenter, by the name of Peter Mikaeloff, and 
continued there for a long time unknown. His way of 
living differed in no respect from that of his labouring 
companions ; as it was his intention to introduce the art of 
ship-building into Russia, with a view to the future crea- 
tion of a formidable fleet, he made himself acquainted with 
all its details. One day, having made use of a tool belong- 
ing to another workman, in his absence, the latter on his 
return flew into a passion, and gave the unknown prince a 
sound box on th6^*"a " How did Peter behave? He said to 
him with the gre-cUest composure : — " You served me right; 
for I had done wrong;" and at the same time made the 
man a present. 

All the children unanimously applauded the generous 
conduct of Peter the Great. 

Mr, O. When he was not at work, he studied geo- 
graphy, mathematics, and natural history. He frequently 
went from Saardam to Amsterdam, to receive instructions 
in surgery from a celebrated surgeon; and he made such 
a proficiency that he afterwards performed several very 
successful surgical operations. From Holland he went to 
England, where he still pursued his sole object, that of 
acquiring information. The king ofl'ered him a splendid 
palace ; but Peter took up his abode in a small house, 
where he had a better opportunity of improving himself in 
the art of ship-building. 

His attention to everything that related to this subject 
was very great. Sometimes he might be seen, in the attire 



SECOND EVENING. 25 

of a sailor, working in ships ; and at others, in a different 
dress, visiting shops and manufactories. He took notes 
of everything remarkable that he saw, conversed with 
men of science and artisans, and sent several persons of 
that description to Russia. He then returned to Holland, 
and from thence proceeded to Germany, where he princi- 
pally devoted his attention to military tactics. He was 
just ready to set out for Italy, when a commotion at Mos- 
cow obliged him to return to his dominions. 

Edw, And did he put in practice in his own country 
what he had learned among foreign nations ? 

Mr. O, Certainly, for this was the motive of his travels : 
he established many kinds of manufactures in Russia, 
invited skilful foreigners thither, and sent young Russians 
to other countries to be instrur d m the arts and sciences. 
On their return, he examined tuc. respecting what they 
had learned ; and if he found them to be well informed, he 
gave them good situations ; if not, he employed them in 
the most laborious and despicable offices. As an example 
of industry, he still continued to work, either at the trade 
of a carpenter, or at that of a turner, or at some other. 
You may judge of his bodily strength, when I tell you that, 
going one day with his retinue to a blacksmith's, he forged 
upwards of seven hundred pounds of iron. You may 
imagine too that he was highly diverted with the awkward- 
ness and grimaces of his courtiers, who were obliged to 
bring him coal, to keep up the fire, and blow the great 
bellows. When he had done, he received his wages for 
the day, and with the money bought a pair of shoes ; ob- 
serving, that he had certainly a good right to the shoes, for 
he had earned them. His love of the arts induced him to 
undertake a second tour, in which he behaved as on the 
former occasion. He went to Denmark, and afterwards to 

VOL. II. 3 



26 



EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 



Holland and France. When at Paris, he told the Duke 
of Orleans, then regent of the kingdom, he had not come 
to that city for amusement, but to inspect the monuments, 
the manufactories, the arsenals, the hospitals, and other 
public institutions: he therefore requested him to give 
orders for all those things to be shown him, if he wished to 
confer a pleasure upon him. From the following anec- 
dotes you may infer how attentive Peter was to the most 
trifling circumstances. Riding one day through a village in 
the neighbourhood of Paris, he saw a man, dressed in 
black, working in a garden : he inquired who it was, and 
being informed that it was the rector of the parish, he 
alighted from his horse, went to the clergyman, and ex- 
pressed his astonishment that he should employ himself in 
such humble occupations. The rector replied, that the 
exercise was wholesome, and that his labour contributed in 
some measure to his subsistence, as his living was far from 
being a rich one. Peter immediately made a memorandum 
in his pocket-book of the name of the rector and the village 
where he resided ; saying, that the worthy pastor would 
serve as a pattern to the clergy of his country. On ano- 
ther occasion, passing through a small town, he perceived 
at an inn a padlock of superior workmanship. Peter, who 
was a competent judge of mechanical performances, in- 
quired who made this padlock, went to the man, and 
invited him to settle at Petersburg. During his stay at 
Paris, he attended a meeting of the academy of sciences, 
and was admitted a member of that society. On his 
return to Russia, he sent to the academy, as a testimony 
of his gratitude and esteem, two charts, drawn with his 
own hand, from surveys by himself. One of them, repre- 
senting the extent of the Caspian Sea, is now preserved in 
the imperial library at Paris. During his travels he never 



SECOND EVENING. 27 

failed to visit the tombs of great men, expressing his vene- 
ration for their memory. On seeing at Paris the monu- 
ment of Cardinal Richelieu, one of the greatest statesmen 
•of France, he embraced his statue, exclaiming: — " Great 
man! Oh that thou wert now living! I would give thee 
one half of my dominions to teach me to govern the 
other!" Travelling through Saxony, he stopped at Wir- 
temberg, where he went to see Luther's tomb in the 
chapel of the castle, and afterwards desired to be shown 
the house in which that reformer had resided. On de- 
parting he wrote his name Pitr^ according to the ortho- 
graphy of the Russian language, on one of the walls, which 
is still to be seen; for care has been taken to surround the 
spot with a tin case, to which is affixed a small grating. 
But the most remarkable circumstance in Peter's life is 
the founding of Petersburg, in a place where there was 
then nothing but a few fishermen's huts. Peter the Great 
neglected nothing which could ensure the prosperity of 
this new colony, allure foreign merchants to it, and cause 
the arts and trade to flourish there. There is still to be 
seen, on a little island of the Neva, a small house of wood, 
which Peter ordered to be built for himself in 1703; and 
in one of the public squares of Petersburg is the fine statue 
of that great man, erected upon a block of granite, twenty- 
two feet high and forty-three long; which, being found in a 
morass six miles from the city, and weighing near four 
millions of pounds, was removed to the spot where it now 
stands, by means of very ingenious machines. 

Such, my dears, are some of the most remarkable events 
in the life of this great man, whose ardent thirst of know- 
ledge may afford a useful lesson and pattern to persons of 
every rank 'in life. One more example of the patience and 
perseverance of the Russians I will relate to you. In the 



28 EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 

reign of Catharine, the court of Petersburg conceived the 
singular idea of building a palace entirely of ice, and this 
idea was executed. 

Edw, What ! a palace of ice ? But how did they make ' 
it solid enough to prevent the wind from destroying it? 

Mr, O. Pieces of ice were cut exactly like stones, and 
laid in the same manner ; but instead of mortar, the work- 
men threw water between these pieces of ice, which imme- 
diately froze, and rendered this building very strong. 

Charles, I cant't help pitying the poor fellows who had 
to work at it. 

Mr. O, They were very cold, no doubt ; for this reason 
it required Russian constitutions to execute such a piece of 
work. People brought up in our climate would never 
have accomplished it. 

Eliza, Were there any apartments in this extraordinary 
building ? 

Mr, O, Not only apartments, but likewise windows 
and doors ; and what is still more, every apartment was 
furnished. Here were to be seen tables, glasses, chande- 
liers, nay, even a bed, and all of ice. 

Charles, As for such a bed as that, I had rather shift 
witliout it. 

Mr, O, I believe you, my dear fellow. The angles of 
the large rooms were embellished with statues, and the 
front of the building was adorned with various pieces of 
sculpture, the whole of ice. To heighten the illusion, 
recourse was had to art, and the natural colour of marble 
was given to the columns and other ornaments. Before 
this palace were mounted six pieces of cannon and two 
mortars, which were charged with gunpowder, though 
they were entirely of ice : they were fired, and the explo- 
sion was exactly similar to that of our metal cannon. At 



SECOND EVENING. 29 

the entrance stood an elephant made of ice, on which sat a 
man in the. Persian costume. This elephant threw water 
out of his mouth by day, and burning naphtha by night- 
It is impossible to describe the effect produced by the 
spectacle of this palace when the sun shone upon it ; the 
ice reflected the rays of light on every side, and sparkled 
like the most brilliant diamonds. But the astonishment 
and pleasure of the beholder were infinitely increased at 
night, when the interior of this palace was illuminated with 
candles. Everybody then imagined it to be one of those 
fairy castles of which various eastern tales give such mag- 
nificent descriptions. The elephant at the entrance throw- 
ing burning naphtha, which produced blue and yellow 
flames, contributed greatly to increase the pleasure. 

This extraordinary edifice continued standing all the 
winter till the month of March ; but the increasing heat of 
the sun gradually reduced it to water, and swept away this 
transitory palace. 

I have already told you that the Russians, in their com- 
merce, have preserved many Oriental customs ; their fairs 
at Makariew upon the Wolga, and at Irtush, fifty leagues 
from Tobolsk, present a picture not unlike that at Had- 
wara: for here, as at that place, may be seen merchants 
from Russia, Tartary, Armenia, China, &;c. When they 
have settled their commercial accounts, they all unite in 
social amusements, and in the enjoyment of public spec- 
tacles. 

The fair at Makariew is held in the summer; but that 
of Irtush in the winter; and the merchants repair thither 
in sledges. Although the cold is intense, this caravan has 
the appearance of a party of pleasure. When it is night, 
they pursue their journey by torch-light, and. when the 
hour of repose approaches, they halt, kindle fires, and 

3* 



30 EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 

mdie tea and punch. Good-humour and gaiety preside 
over tliese inspiring beverages ; and, cheered and happy* 
the travellers take their rest, and with the dawn of day 
resume their journey. The city of Irtush is, as you raay 
suppose, crowded by this vast inllux of people ; some of 
whom come the distance of three or four hundred leagues. 
The exchange between the Russian and Siberian merchants 
is here made ; and it is the only means by which the in- 
land tralTic with China is carried on: the Chinese mer- 
chandise is received from the small town of Kiachta. 

Kiachta is a Siberian city, situated upon the frontiers of 
China: a small river separates the Russian and the Chinese 
custom-houses. Nothing but the great advantages China 
receives from this commerce could induce them to permit 
this transitory intercourse with foreigners, of which they 
are so jealous that the}- will not permit their own people 
to correspond with their relatives during their abode at 
tiiis town. A list of articles required tor the ensuing year 
is mutually given by the merchants, and these lists, with 
their orders, are transmitted by the custom-house officers 
to their respective cities for their examination and com- 
pletion. 

It is in this manner that the commerce between Russia 
and China is carried on, which amounts to many millions. 
Russia imports tea, nankeens, porcelain, 6lc, ; and China 
receives furs, iron-ware, cloths, &c. This traffic would be 
infinitely greater if it were not so shackled by the Chinese. 



( 31 ) 



THIRD EVENING. 




Mr, O. If the details I gave you at our last meeting 
amused you, I will this evening entertain you with the 
history of another northern race. 

The Children, Oh, pray do, papa ! 

Mr, O, The Norwegians then shall occupy our atten- 
tion; and the industry of this people will furnish us with 
ample subject for discussion and admiration. I shall not, 
however, trouble you with a description of the Norwegian 
towns and cities, but shall confine our perambulations to 
the country. But let me first hear if you know the situa- 
tion of Norway. 

Edw. Norway extends about two hundred and twenty 
leagues between the sea and Sweden, to which it is con- 
tiguous. The southern par:s of this country are covered 
with mountains, forests, and morasses. In the north, the 
cold is so intense as to stop vegetation, and here nothing but 
bleak and barren rocks present themselves. In the sum- 



32 EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 

mer the heat is intense, from the reflection of the sun 
from the rocks and mountains, and the shortness of the 
nights, which prevent the earth from getting refreshed 
before the bright god of day again appears. The principal 
riches of Norway consist in its immense forests, and its 
valuable metallic mines, particularly its iron ores. 

Mr, O, Such accurate details as those you have just 
given, Edward, are truly praiseworthy. I will now, there- 
fore, and with much pleasure, describe to you the inhabit- 
ants of this extensive country. To speak correctly, there 
are no villages in Norway ; the land which surrounds the 
towns and cities may be truly designated country, as we 
understand that word; it is very rare to see even two or 
three houses together. Each person lives in the middle 
of his own domains ; the houses, consequently, stand 
singly, and in some parts are at a considerable distance 
from any other dwelling. The Norwegians are a fine race 
of men, very active, sprightly, and industrious. They are 
so inured to cold that they do not clothe themselves in 
thick furs like the other inhabitants of the north ; on the 
contrary, they think it effeminate to wrap themselves up 
in warm apparel. In the depth of winter they wear but 
one waistcoat, over which they put on a very short coat of 
coarse cloth ; both are held together by a broad leather 
girdle, fastened in the front by three or four small buckles. 
The coat and waistcoat are open above, so that the bosom 
is absolutely uncovered. The shirt collar is fastened round 
the neck by a large silver button, and the head covered 
with a cap made of four pieces of woollen cloth. Breeches 
made of skin, worsted stockings, clumsy shoes, and gaiters 
complete the dress of a Norwegian. He works in the cold 
with his bosom bare, and the sweat frequently trickles 
down his forehead while icicles are hanging from his breast ; 



THIRD EVENING. 33 

and some, even, to show their indifference to cold, apply 
snow and ice to their bosoms either by the fireside or in 
the open air. This is attended with no bad consequences ; 
almost all of them possess sound, robust constitutions, and 
are remarkable for longevity, 

Eliza, And yet I should think they had enough of snow 
in those northern countries, without making it a plaything ; 
at least, I should think it a melancholy object. 

Mr, O, It would be painful for us to support; but the 
inhabitants of the north are accustomed to it; and, besides 
these, they reap many advantages from it as well as many 
pleasures. I have described to you the amusements of the 
Russians: now you shall hear something of the Norwegian 
skaiters. Snow, when well beaten, becomes a surface as 
solid and as smooth as ice. This being the case, the Nor- 
wegians, the Laplanders, the Swedes, and the people in the 
north of Siberia have invented wooden skaits. These 
skaits are made by the Norwegians of pine, and consist of 
planks of wood four or five feet long. The children have, 
at first, much difficulty in advancing along the snow, and 
get many hearty falls in serving their apprenticeship ; but 
the raillery of their companions, and the desire to excel, 
lead them on till they attain perfection in this curious ex- 
ercise. It is hardly possible to conceive the swiftness with 
which the skaiter passes over the ground : his great skaits 
convey him rapidly up hill and down. Furnished with a 
stick, which serves him as a rudder, he readily avoids the 
stones and the trees which come in his way. Even preci- 
pices, unless they should be enormous, do not arrest his 
progress, neither slacken his speed. The sight of a wild 
beast terrifies him not, for he soon leaves the enemy far 
behind him. It is a pleasing and singular spectacle on a 
Sunday, to see numbers of the Norwegian peasantry, skim- 



34 



EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 



ming over the country in order to attend divine service. 
Sometimes the skaiter is a hmiter ; in this case he pursues 
with giant strides his prej^, having at his back, his gun, 
his pouch, and his provisions. These skaiters are fre- 
quently employed in war time, as scouts. The price of a 
good pair of skaits is sometimes equal to that of a cow. 

The coarse blue or gray cloth of which they make their 
garments is manufactured by the peasants themselves. On 
holidays their dress is made of rather finer cloth. The 
stuff of which the women make their gowns is likewise of 
home manufacture ; it is worn, even in company, by people 
of the higher classes, who pride themselves on its being 
of their own making. Upon the whole, the ingenuity and 
industry of these people are extraordinary. Every peasant 
is his own cabinet-maker, carpenter, tailor, and shoemaker. 
He makes his own furniture, chairs, tables, carts, wagons, 
clothes, stockings, &c. In almost every parish there are 
persons, who, without having learned any trade, are re- 
markable for a mechanical genius : but their general turn 
is for carving in wood, which they execute in a surprising 
manner with a knife of their own forging, upon sledges, 
drinking-cups, boxes, and other utensils. They even make 
watches, fowling-pieces, pistols, and all sorts of gold- 
smiths', cabinet-makers', and blacksmiths' work. The 
royal museum at Copenhagen contains some very rare 
curiosities, the production of the Norwegian peasants. 

A lady of the Danish court one day showed me, in a 
company where we met, a beautiful repeater, which she 
wore. Every body admired the workmanship, though it 
was observed not to be so highly finished as the best per- 
formances of the watchmakers of London and Paris ; but 
we were all not a little surprised when she informed us 
that this watch was made by a young Norwegian who had 



THIRD EVENING. 35 

never learned the trade or been from home : that before 
he could set about this arduous task, he had been obliged 
to make, with his rude implements, such fine tools as he 
wanted ; and that in three years he had at length com- 
pleted this beautiful piece of work, which for soUdity and 
regularity was not surpassed by any other of the kind. 

I have also seen small barrel-organs which were made in 
that country, and which competent judges had declared to 
be excellent. It is chiefly during the long winter nights 
that they occupy themselves in these various works. The 
family is then assembled round the kitchen fire, on-'which 
are thrown logs of fir, that give a very good light; or 
splinters of resinous wood are stuck up perpendicularly, 
and lighted for the same purpose. At the same time they 
amuse themselves with telling fairy-tales, or singing na- 
tional songs. 

In like manner, every farmer makes whatever he stands 
in need of; he builds his own house, his corn-mill, and 
his saw-mill. The women weave the cloth for their own 
garments, as well as for those of their husbands and chil- 
dren. The Norwegians are accused of pride; but this 
failing appears very pardonable, when we consider that no 
people can be more free and independent, since they 
can easily dispense with the rest of the w^orld. In fact, 
every farmer is, as I have already observed, cut ofi* in a 
manner from the rest of mankind. He has at home every 
thing necessary for his subsistence ; he has no favour to 
ask of any man ; he can himself supply all his wants as 
long as he is able to work. 

That which chiefly occupies the industry of the Norwe- 
gians is their timber. You have heard of nations who 
support themselves on their whales, their seals, their rein- 
deer, their cocoa-trees, and bread-trees : this nation founds 



36 EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 

its support and commerce on timber ; it is to them the 
best gift of Providence. Agriculture is little practised in 
Norway: corn, indeed, grows in the southern parts; but 
it is frequently destroyed by the intense frosts. Formerly 
the inhabitants ate dried fish instead of bread ; but at pre- 
sent they are supplied with potatoes and bread, which have 
become more common. In unfavourable years, the poor 
country people were sometimes obliged to mix with their 
meal the bark of the birch-tree, which they dried and 
ground with their oats. The bread made from it was 
generally not less unpleasant to the taste than pernicious 
to health. This wretched expedient is fortunately becom- 
ing every day less necessary from the increased cultivation 
of corn and pulse. Some few sheep are kept ; but, during 
tlie winter, they are both expensive and troublesome. In 
fact, the Norwegians import most of the productions of the 
earth. From England they receive hay, and from Holland 
vegetables. 

Fishing is the usual occupation of the inhabitants of the 
coasts ; where it is carried on with very little trouble, be- 
cause they are composed of rocks and creeks always fre- 
quented in summer by multitudes of fish. To catch them, 
the fishermen liave only to throw a net across the mouth of 
each creek to prevent their escape, and another to draw 
them on shore. They salt part of their booty, and dry the 
rest, for which purpose they spread them on the rocks. 
Considerable quantities of both kinds are exported. The 
inhabitants of the coasts are likewise much addicted to na- 
vigation ; great numbers of them live entirely on the water 
in vessels, w^hich they manage with great dexterity, even 
in the most violent storms. The very women, who accom- 
pany their husbands to sea, are very skilful in the working 
of these vessels. The Norwegian pilots, whose business 



THIRD EVENING. 



37 



it is to steer ships into and out of port, acquire considera- 
ble property by this profession. 

Gustav. What are the remarkable animals of Norway? 

Mr. O. There are wolves, bears, elks, reindeers, foxes, 
hares, and squirrels. In winter, the hares become white 
as snow, and the foxes and squirrels turn grey. 

Gustav. Are there any curious birds ? 

Mr. O. Their coast abounds with the same sea-birds as 
our own. The Osprey and the white-tailed Eagle here soar 
over the billows with majestic sweep, and the great sea 
eagle* perched on the lofty crag, watches in moody silence 
for his prey. 

Gustav. What is their prey ? 

Mr. O. Chiefly fishes and aquatic birds. These they 
usually carry off to devour at their leisure, either on the 
rocks or in their nests. Sometimes they fix on a dead 
carcass thrown on the shore, and remain stationary upon 
it for whole days, preying upon it with the disgusting vo- 
racity of the vulture. 

Gustav. What is the employment of the country peo- 
ple in Norway? 

Mr. O. The Norwegians residing in the interior of the 
country are almost all employed in felling trees, and other oc- 
cupations of the like nature ; such as squaring timber and saw- 
ing planks, which they convey to the towns and ports on 
long sledges in winter, and in summer on rafts which they 
float down the numerous rivers that intersect this moun- 
tainous country ; but the rocks in their beds prevent ves- 
sels from navigating them ; and the timber, before it reaches 
the ports, commonly receives considerable injury from the 
cataracts, which it meets with by the way, and down which 

* See cut on page 31, 
VOL. II. 4 



38 EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 

it is dashed with great violence. On its road, the pieces 
often get entangled, and the peasants who live on the banks 
are expected to set them freely afloat again ; to eflect this, 
they are lowered down the rocks by means of cables; 
sometimes it happens that, in setting one float aright, the 
poor man sees with terror the mass behind him righting 
likewise, and advancing with inconceivable rapidity ; his 
fate is then pitiable, for it rarely happens, in such cases, 
that he escapes instant death. 

On the arrival of the timber in the cities and ports, each 
merchant knows his own by the marks upon it. A num- 
ber of saw windmills are at work in the neighbourhood of 
these places, cutting the timber into planks and logs. 
Sometimes a hundred of these may be counted at night, all 
at work, by the light of coal fires. 

The city of Christiana is much indebted to these saws 
for its prosperity : the English prefer the timber of Chris- 
tiana to that of any other place. The timber yard is so 
filled that the planks, piled up, form a sort of alley or 
labyrinth. The constant egress and ingress of the peasants 
form a pleasing picture to strangers ; no sooner have they 
deposited their burthen in the yard than the inspectors 
make a mark upon their backs with chalk ; signifying the 
quantity of timber they have brought, the place from whence 
it came, and the master to whom it belongs. With this 
kind of account upon his back, the peasant runs with all 
speed to the merchant, for fear that the marks should be 
eflfaced, in order to receive his money. He has only to 
present his back, and he is instantly paid ; the mark is then 
brushed ofl*, and the payment and receipt are setfled. 

Gustavus laughing. This custom imphes, at least, un- 
bounded confidence on both sides. 

Mr, O. It is founded upon the good faith which should 



THIRD EVENING. 39 

always reign in commerce, and which is very generally 
found in this country. 

In the places where there are mines, a great deal of 
wood is used as charcoal; in other places they make pitch, 
tar, and potash. If we take into consideration the various 
uses to which the Norwegians apply wood, I did not im- 
properly say, they lived upon it. It is calculated that, as 
an article of commerce, it brings into Norway about six 
hundred and twenty-five thousand pounds sterling. 

Hospitality, so common a virtue in the countries of the 
north, is remarkably prevalent among the peasants of 
Norway ; and this disposition is especially manifested in 
the Christmas season. Its festivities last several weeks; 
which are spent in feasting, parties of pleasure in sledges, 
and all sorts of amusements peculiar to the northern na- 
tions. From Christmas-eve, called in that country Juul^ 
to Twelfth-day, the table of the Norwegian peasant is 
liberally supplied, and every stranger who happens to come 
in is invited to partake of such cheer as it affords. Were 
he to refuse, it would almost be considered as an affront; 
they would tell him that it is Christmas, and that nobody 
ought to refuse participating in a festival during which they 
deem it a sacred duty to diffuse all the joy and satisfaction 
they are able. '* Christmas for ever!" is the sentiment 
which they have continually in their mouths, either in ad- 
dressing an acquaintance, or when they meet a stranger. 
The most impressive circumstance in this custom of cele- 
brating the period of our Saviour's nativity is, that they 
even make their animals partakers of the general joy. On 
Christmas-eve the Norwegian peasant gives his beasts a 
more abundant portion than usual. Formerly, every farmer, 
on this occasion, tied a sheaf of oats to the top of a pole 
before his house for the little birds ; and it was considered 



40 EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS, 

a violation of hospitality to shoot the happy guests, or in 
any way to molest them in their feast. Charming and af- 
fecting custom, w^hich proves the generous sentiments in- 
spired by the Christian religion, and how it delights in 
making its festivals occasions for rejoicing, and the exercise 
of universal benevolence ! How sweet is the reflection, 
that the commemoration of an event of equal interest to the 
whole human race excites the same joy throughout all 
Christendom, is fraught with the same consolation and the 
same hopes for the inhabitant of the bleak mountains of 
Norway as for the native of the genial climate of Spain ! 

But if the character of the Norwegian peasant displays 
many estimable qualities, it is also tarnished by others of a 
very different kind. The Norwegian, as I have said, is 
proud and quarrelsome ; he defends his opinion with obsti- 
nacy, and nothing can make him give up a point. This 
litigious disposition has frequently occasioned sanguinary 
encounters. It was formerly customary among them to 
carry a large knife suspended by a chain from their girdle; 
and when, heated with liquor, they began to quarrel, they 
challenged one another to combat with these knives. On 
such occasions they hooked themselves together by their 
belts, and fought till one of the two was killed or mortally 
wounded. It is related, that this barbarous custom was so 
general that when a peasant went to a wedding, at which 
they drink to intoxication, his wife never failed to carry 
with her a sheet in which to wrap his body, in case he 
should perish in a fray. Wise laws and the vigilance of 
government have, however, suppressed these cruel prac- 
tices almost entirely. They are a relic of the barbarous 
manners of ancient times, that have been retained in 
insulated districts, and among the nations more unpolished 
than others, If, therefore, civilization has detracted from 



THIRD EVENING. 41 

the simplicity and innocence of primitive manners, it has 
at least produced the advantage of having softened and 
rendered them more sociable. 

While the Norwegians find a support in their extensive 
forests, one part of the inhabitants of Jutland, and several 
of the islands belonging to Denmark, are obliged to seek 
the means of subsistence in the heaths of their unculti- 
vated soil. They can only extract turf from these de- 
serts ; and, in order to procure this, they have only to cut it 
in square pieces and then dry them. This is not hard 
labour, but is monotonous and melancholy ; and as turf 
is cheap in this country, a man must cut a thousand 
squares as a day's work. One part of the turf is used as 
coal. In the morasses, a species of turf is found which, 
when thrown upon fire, emits a light as bright as that 
produced by a flame : in many of the cottages, a family 
will assemble round one of these fires, w^ith no other lig?it 
but what they receive from it. It often happens that these 
heaths become in the winter morasses, which render the 
habitations of the peasants perfectly isolated. 

The Finlanders had formerly the same advantages as the 
Norwegians ; immense forests occupied that part of their 
country which was not occupied by lakes or morasses ; 
but the ill judged conduct of the inhabitants have nearly 
destroyed them. Instead of economizing this precious 
gift, they set large portions of it on fire ; and, when the soil 
is covered with ashes, they sow it with seed. 
Giistav. How can they be so imprudent? 
Mr, O. Having discovered that the fresh ashes rendered 
the earth very fertile, they destroy their woods in order to 
reap speedily the fruits of their labour. If they cleared 
the marshy lands, their work would be longer and more 

painful; they love to labour little and reap much. In this 

4 ^ 



42 EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 

they act like all people who think but little, and who sacri- 
fice their brightest hopes to the enjoyment of the present 
moment. It is true, that the Finlanders could never reap 
profit to the same extent as the Norw^egians ; because their 
country is so intersected by fens and marshes that com- 
mercial intercourse is difficult. Every household depends 
upon itself for the gratification of its wants. The master 
of the cottage is tailor, miller, weaver, &;c. They are 
contented with their miserable huts because they are igno- 
rant of better; they are bigoted to their ancient customs, 
and, although oftentimes distressed for provision, they 
receive coldly that valuable vegetable, the potatoe, and the 
bread made from the reindeer moss. It is with nations as 
with individuals ; a solitary life renders us self opinionated; 
by depending constantly upon ourselves, we imagine that 
we are all-sufficient, and need not the advise of others ; we 
become mistrustful and obstinate. By associating with 
others, we naturally profit by their knowledge and ex- 
perience. 

Yet the Finlander is not without advantages which 
result from his isolated situation ; he is not exposed to 
the temptation and bad examples of cities ; and with the 
rudeness of uncultivated life, he has also preserved its 
simplicity. In his intercourse with strangers he is exceed- 
ingly reserved and not un frequently gloomy. 

Notwithstanding the efforts which have been made to 
enlighten them, they are exceedingly superstitious. Their 
magicians who are now, however, compelled by the vigi- 
lance of their magistrates to resort to secrecy, in order to 
carry on their pretended arts, bear about in a bag alf they 
consider necessary for their magical delusions. They have 
many old songs which they teach as a shield or remedy 
against evils. The Finlanders have always loved singings 



THIRD EVENING. 43 

and they possess a talent you would little suspect, that of 
poetry. They compose songs and long poems, in which, 
though many of the ideas are whimsical, the sentiments 
they contain are noble and strongly expressed. These 
poems become oral traditions, for they know not how to 
preserve them in writing. Some of the peasants will re- 
peat a thousand lines, which they have either heard or 
composed. Sometimes these verses are sung, accompanied 
by a stringed instrument, called kandele, which, according 
to their mythology, was invented by a god. 

At the feasts of the interior Finlanders, an old poet, 
having chosen a helpmate, places himself opposite to him, 
so that their knees touch ; he then recites a couplet, to 
which his companion adds another, and so till the poem is 
finished. A pot of beer is the only recompense for this 
rustic effusion of the muses. When the in-peasants travel 
towards the coast, in companies of forty or fifty, they cheer 
the way by song. The women too, when turning the 
grindstone and performing other offices equally hard, be- 
guile the hours with historic or romantic ballads. The 
women are very industrious and exact in the performance 
of their household duties. 

"I begin to love these Finlanders," said Caroline, as 
Mr. Oakley, rose from his seat; ''I am sorry they are so 
far from us ; I should like to hear them sing their national 
songs." 

In order to make up for this defect in your happiness, 
you shall read some of their songs. One of the learned 
men of Finland, for there have been such, has translated 
some of them into Latin, and I will engage that Gustavus 
shall translate some of them for you into your native lan- 
guage. But the Finlanders are not the only nation who 
amuse themselves with songs at their labour; the Highland 



44 EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 

women sing in chorus as they make hay, reap, weave, or 
milk their cows. Their airs are melancholy, but sweet; 
and they sing them with a pathos peculiar to themselves. 
Thus music is a cheerer to the industrious man, and an 
agreeable pastime to the idle man. But it possesses charms 
of a more lofty nature than these ; sacred music lifts the 
soul to heaven, and gives a foretaste of one of the joys of 
heaven, which has been revealed to us ; for we are taught 
by holy writ that, day and night, hymns of praise and loud 
hosannas fdl the courts of that blissful abode, where labour, 
pain, and sickness never find entrance. * I cannot conclude 
this evening with a subject more proper to engross your last 
thoughts. So good night, my children, and may the bless- 
ing of heaven rest on you. 



( 45 ) 



FOURTH EVENING. 




The following evening Mr. Oakley began thus : 
You have heard that the inhabitants of the interior of 
Norway carry on a lucrative trade ; it is not so with the 
inhabitants upon the coast and upon the more northern 
parts. There the rocks rise in thick fogs, and the air is 
cold and sharp ; and these parts are but thinly inhabited. 
There are islands where two or tliree families only are 
found, who are perfectly ignorant of what is passing in the 
world. Once or twice in the course of the year, a priest 
visits them; sometimes they have twenty leagues to go 
to church, around which are generally built small huts, 
for the convenience of tliose who travel thus far to perform 
the irreligious duties. A journey to church forms a party 
of pleasure to those poor people, for as soon as church is 
over, they assemble together for amusement, feasting, or 
business. 

Fishing forms the principal occupation of the Norwe- 
gians: upon this subject I have already glanced; but I 



46 EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 

must revert to it again. France, Italy, and Spain are sup- 
plied with fish by these people. Twenty thousand fisher- 
men assemble about the isles of Voage, particularly at Lo- 
fodden, for the purpose of fishing. These places, all at 
once, assume the appearance of a populous city; the sea is 
covered with boats, and the coast presents a motley group 
of Norwegian fishermen and foreign traders. 

Eliza. Papa, what particular reason have they for fish- 
ing near those isles ? 

Mr, 0. Because the fish^ in the month of January, 
flock thither in immense shoals to deposit their spawn ; 
whether it is that the bottom of the sea is less cold in 
those parts, or that the islands in this latitude render the 
tempests beneath tlie sea less frequent, or whether they 
diminish its fury, I cannot tell; but certain it is they 
abound there. At night the fishermen spread their simple 
nets, which are about twenty fathoms long, and composed 
of large net; before morning these nets are generally full; 
the fishermen then pierce the fish with a sharp w^eapon, 
and fling them into the boat. Such fishermen as cannot 
afibrd nets fasten fish hooks to a cable, or fish with aline; 
but these processes are far less profitable than the nets. 
The fishing season lasts about six weeks or two months, 
and the drying of them occupies two or three months. 

I must not omit the salmon fish^y in Finland, particu- 
larly that in the Tornea, which empties itself into the Gulf 
of Bothnia. This fisher}' may be almost called a chase, 
so curious is it. At night a number of boats float upon 
the river, lighted by burning brands, and containing two 
men ; one of these sits in the bottom of the boat, and rows 
it slowly on; the other stands armed with a trident at the 
forepart, ready to strike the salmon when, attracted 'by the 
liffht it rises to the surface. If the salmon is very power- 



FOURTH EVENING. 47 

ful, his companion goes to his assistance. The river, as 
you may suppose, upon these occasions, presents a very 
singular and pleasing spectacle. The flaming brands which 
appear to be floating upon the river, the men armed like 
Neptune with a trident, who are perfectly visible, and every 
now and then plunging their formidable weapons into the 
agitated waves as it seems. But enough upon this sub- 
ject. 

The rocks and seacoast of Norway, as I have already 
informed you, and of the isles of Ferro, the Orcades, and 
the islands of Shetland, are exceedingly well stocked 
with aquatic birds, such as penguins, puffins, herons, cor- 
morants, falcons, and eider fowl. The flesh of some of 
these is eaten fresh, and some is salted ; their eggs form 
excellent food, and the down is carefully collected, for it 
is much sought after in cold countries. You see how use- 
ful these animals are to the poor inhabitants of these deso- 
late places, though they are often obliged to expose them- 
selves to the greatest dangers to come at them. The 
fowler scrambles up the rocks, which are often two, three, 
and even four hundred feet high, and so abrupt, that it is 
scarcely possible to find a footing. Ascending to the ele- 
vated parts where the birds deposit their eggs, the bold 
adventurer braves the danger of inevitable death, which 
would be the consequence of a false step. No dread of 
this, however, deters him; he secures the eggs, and de- 
scends with his booty from this prodigious height with 
more indifference than we should go down a ladder. But 
many of the precipices are so abrupt as not to be accessible 
from below. The natives then employ another expedient. 
Having climbed to the top of the opposite rock, one of them 
lowers down the other from the slope contiguous to the 
brink, by a rope, made either of straw or of hogs' bristles: 



48 EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 

the latter they prefer even to ropes of hemp, as it is not so 
liable to be cut by the sharpness of the rocks, and the for- 
mer is apt to untwist : they trust their existence to a single 
assistant, who lets his companion down by the rope, which 
the latter firmly grasps. The courageous fowler then de- 
scends, examines the cavities of the rocks, and puts all the 
eggs which he discovers into a basket fastened to his waist. 
His life therefore depends solely on the strength of his 
comrade at the top of the rock, who holds the other end 
of the rope ; for if he should chance to lose it, the ad- 
venturer would of course fall, and be dashed in pieces 
against the projecting crags, or drowned in the billows, 
which break with a tremendous noise against the foot of 
these rocks. 

Caroline, Do such accidents sometimes happen? 

Mr. O, Unfortunately, but too often. If the fowler 
finds no eggs in one place, he proceeds to another, pushing 
himself out from the face of the rock with a small stafif, to 
avoid injury, while thus suspended, from its projecting 
parts. Being far out of sight of the person above, he gives 
signals to him from time to time to shift the rope, which 
is often done while encumbered with the whole weight of 
the fowler and his booty. 

But the most singular mode of bird-catching is pursued 
on the Holm of Noss, a vast rock apparently severed from 
the isle of the same name by some unknown convulsion, 
and only about sixteen fathoms distant. It is of the same 
stupendous height as the opposite precipice, with a raging 
sea between ; so that the intervening chasm is a scene of 
matchless horror. Some adventurous islander having 
reached the rock in a boat, which he fastens at its foot, 
he climbs to the top, and drives several stakes into the 
small portion of earth which is there to be found. Cor- 



FOURTH EVENING. 49 

respondent stakes are placed on the edge of the opposite 
cliffs. To these stakes on both sides is fastened a strong 
rope, along which a kind of basket, called a cradle, is con- 
trived to slide. The fowler, placing himself in the basket? 
by means of a small parallel cord, wafts himself over, and 
returns the same way with his booty. 

Eliza, It must make one shudder to look at them. 

Mr. O, I confess, my dear, that I could not help trem- 
bling when I saw the fowler seated in his basket, suspend- 
ed in this manner between the sky and the ocean. In the 
Feroe islands, the manner of catching birds is also ex- 
tremely hazardous. Here the natives are often obliged to 
climb rocks whose summits are lost in the clouds, the cliffs 
which contain the objects of their search being sometimes 
two hundred fathoms in height. These are attempted from 
above and below. In the first case the fowlers provide 
themselves with a rope eighty or one hundred fathoms in 
length. One of these bold fellows fastens this about his 
waist and between his legs, takes a small line in his hand 
to give signals when he wants to be lowered, raised, or 
shifted from place to place ; and puts on his head a strong 
thick cap to protect it against the stones which are now 
and then loosened from the rocks. Thus prepared, he 
recommends himself to the protection of the Almighty, and 
is lowered down by six of his comrades, who hold the rope, 
which is preserved from wearing against the sharp edge by 
a piece of limber placed upon the margin of the rock. The 
dexterity of the fowlers is amazing ; they will place their 
feet against the front of the precipice, and dart themselves 
some fathoms from it, survey with calmness the places 
where the birds nestle, and again shoot into their haunts. 
In some places the birds lodge in deep recesses; there the 
fov.7ler will alight, disengage himself from the rope, fix it 

VOL. 11. 5 



50 EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 

to a stone ; and, having at his leisure collected the booty, 
which he fastens to his girdle, will resume his perilous seat. 
At times he will again spring from the rock, and in that 
attitude, with a fowling-net placed at the end of a staff, 
catch the old birds which are flying to and from their re- 
treats. When he has collected as many eggs and birds 
as he can manage, he gives a signal to his comrades above, 
who pull him up and share his hard-earned profit. The 
feathers are preserved for sale ; the flesh is partly eaten 
fresh, but the greater portion dried for winter's provision. 
Such is the method of catching the birds which build 
their nests on the tops of the rocks ; but similar risks are run 
to take those which have their haunts below. The party 
goes on this expedition in a boat ; and on its arrival at the 
foot of the precipice, one of the most daring fastens a rope 
about his waist, and being furnished with a long pole, 
having an iron hook at one end, he either climbs, or is 
thrust up with a pole by his companions, to a place where 
he can gain a footing ; by means of the rope, he draws up 
one of the boats crew ; the rest, each furnished with his 
rope and fowling-stafF, arebro ight up in the same manner. 
They thus continue their progress upwards, till they reach 
the haunts of the birds, and wander about the face of the 
rock in search of them. They then act in pairs; one 
fastens himself to the end of his associate's rope, and in 
places where the birds have nestled beneath his footing, he 
permits himself to be lowered down. It is evident, that 
in this case he must depend for his security on the strength 
of his companion, who has to haul him up again; but 
it sometimes happens that the person above is overpower- 
ed by the weight, and both are precipitated headlong into 
the sea, or dashed against the points of the rocks, and in- 
evitably perish. 



FOURTH EVENING. 51 

Eliza, How happy these poor people must be, if they 
return at night to their huts with an abundant booty ! 

Mr, O. Certainly they must ; but they are often de- 
prived for a considerable time of that pleasure. It fre- 
quently happens that they pass seven or eight days in this 
tremendous employ ; during which they live in the most 
miserable manner, and have no other lodging than the cliffs 
of the rocks. 

"Poor fellows!" exclaimed the children in a tone that 
evinced the pity which they felt for their hard lot! 

Charles. Ah ! how sorry I am too for the poor birds, 
who are thus robbed without mercy of their eggs and their 
young ! 

Mr, O, You have abundant reason to pity them, my 
dear child. The poor creatures make a lamentable noise, 
while hovering full of anxiety about their nests, when they 
see their eggs or their young carried off". Sometimes it 
even happens that, exasperated by the loss of their little 
ones, they attack the robbers with the utmost fury; this 
exposes the latter to an additional danger, which they find 
it very difficult to guard against, especially when they are 
assailed by several birds at once. 

The down obtained from them is dried in the sun, by 
whose heat it is so reduced that ten pounds yield, after 
this indispensable operation, no more than three of good 
down, which is sold by the name of eider-down, and used 
for feather-beds and pillows. The Greenlanders take from 
these poor birds nothing but their eggs and their young; 
as to the down, they leave it behind, or amuse themselves 
with letting it fly about in the air. 

You see, my dears, by what I have just been relating, 
to how many perils man frequently exposes himself to 
procure a subsistence, and how fortunate are those who 



52 EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 

can provide the means of living with greater ease and 
fewer dangers. 

Fortunately, egg-hunting is m>t, always so troublesome. 
Upon the coast of Norway, there are many little islands 
which are level plains, yet exceedingly w^ell stocked with 
aquatic birds. The eggs of these birds form the riches of 
their proprietor. You will smile, when I tell you that 
there appears a sort of convention between the birds and 
their owners ; for the former fly from their nests when the 
latter approach them, and return to them when they depart, 
leaving one egg only behind them. But if a stranger ar- 
rives and commences the work of desolation, they scream 
and make the most frightful noise. I have often had oc- 
casion to observe their shyness, myself,- when attempting 
to shoot them among the islands. AVe went in a boat,^ 
and pushed ourselves noiselessly along under cover of the 
bushes ; but could seldom gain a shot at them on account 
of their shyness. But nest-taking is not confined to the 
north of Europe ; in the south of Asia, they get those nests 
which are considered a delicacy by the Chinese and other 
Asiatics. 

Giistav, This bird is, I think, a species of swallow. 

ilir. O, Yes. This litde swallow constructs a nest with 
very fine filaments, which are fastened together by a trans- 
parent glue. The Asiatics think it possesses strengthening 
qualities. The nearer the nest approaches to white the 
more valuable it is. In the island of Nicolon they abound, 
and in the isles of Sunda likewise. In the island of Java 
there is a rock which these swallows frequent, and the 
produce of which has been valued at twenty and even forty 
thousand Spanish dollars. The Dutch farmers who pos- 

* See cut on page 45. 



FOURTH EVENING. 53 

sess rocks of this description, are particularly careful that 
nothing shall molest them, and they watch the Chinese with 
a most jealous eye, for these people will, if they can, steal 
them. Three times a year they are collected, but this 
hunting of nests is nearly as hazardous as that of the eider 
fowl. The rocks are difficult to climb, the caverns are 
sometimes the receptacles of wild beasts : besides these dan- 
gers, the Javanese have the terrors of superstition to sur- 
mount, for they believe the caverns to be inhabited by 
angry s'^irits who resent the audacity of man in thus dis- 
turbing their haunts ; before, therefore, the natives under- 
take these excursions they offer sacrifices to these spirits, 
and make vow^s ; and if any misfortune happens to them, 
they attribute it to the revenge of the evil genii. 



5* 



C 54 ) 



FIFTH EVENING. 




Mi\ 0, We yesterday discussed, my children, the dan- 
gers the Scotch, Icelandic, and Indian hunters are forced 
to brave to get down nests and eggs of different birds. I 
will to-night describe to you the chase of the shamoy which 
is no less daring and hazardous. 

The shamoy inhabits the rocks and mountains of Swit- 
zerland, Savoy, and the Tyrol, as well as the Pyrenees. 
Feeding upon grass and moss, they never descend into the 
plains, and delight in the steepest and most elevated rocks, 
which they climb with the greatest agility, springing from 
rock to rock, and leaping over abysses twenty or thirty 
feet wide. It requires not only great hardihood but much 
agility to hunt these animals. Before the hunter com- 
mences his perilous undertaking he provides himself with a 
good gun, a telescope, a sack filled with provisions, a 
hunting-knife, and a pole with a sharp iron at the end : 



FIFTH EVENING. 55 

neither does he forget a couple of spikes, which he fixes 
in the soles of his shoes, that he may obtain a firm footing 
on the ice, and thus be enabled to pursue the shamoys 
over the glaciers. Furnished with all these indispensably 
necessary instruments, he sets out on his expedition. Ttie 
usual hour of his departure is twelve at night, because he 
endeavours to reach the most elevated pasturage of the 
Alps, to which the shamoys repair to feed, before the 
shepherds, of these mountains come thither with their 
flocks. On his arrival, he looks about with his perspec- 
tive-glass for game; if he discovers any at some distance, 
he makes a considerable circuit, and takes particular care 
not to get to windward, because the smell and hearing of 
the shamoys are so extremely acute that they can smell 
powder at the distance of nearly a mile, and hear the least 
noise. The hunter, therefore, if he would not have his 
game escape, must employ great address in climbing the 
rocky hills till he gets within shot of the shamoy which he 
has in view. He commonly endeavours to shoot it on some 
elevation, where the shamoy, while grazing, cannot per- 
ceive its enemy: he takes aim, fires, and as soon as he 
sees his game fall, he quickly runs up, and the first thing 
he does is to cut the ham-strings. 

Charles, Why does he serve the poor beast so? 

Mr, O, It is a measure of precaution ; for the shamoys, 
having a very thick skin, and being extremely tenacious of 
life, frequently escape after they are wounded. The hun- 
ter besides, is almost always at too great a distance for the 
ball of his piece to penetrate very far. As soon as he has 
secured his game, he considers which way he ought to re- 
turn: if the road is too difficult and steep, he takes nothing 
but the skin, leaving behind him the carcass, which becomes 
the prey of the eagles and vultures ; if not, he takes it upon 



56 EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 

his shoulders, carries it home, and it serves as food fortis 
family ; for the flesh of the shamoy is excellent eating. He 
then dries the skin and sells it. 

It is very difficult to kill the young shamoys; the hun- 
ters therefore endeavour to catch them alive, in the follow- 
ing manner: — when one of these goats has been killed, the 
kid remains near the dam, and may be easily taken. If, 
however, it happens to escape, the crafty hunter sets the 
dam which he has killed upon her legs, as if she were still 
alive ; the little kid runs to her, falls into the snare, and the 
man leads it home, where it is brought up with goat's milk 
till it becomes so tame as to accompany the other goats to 
pasture, and to return regularly with them. 

Such is the ordinary method of hunting shamoys ; but 
the poor fellows who follow this occupation are not always il 
so fortunate; they frequently expose themselves to dangers 
which bring them to the brink of destruction. If several 
shamoys are feeding together, it is difficult for the hunter 
to kill any of them ; because each of these animals, in 
turn, performs the duty of sentinel, continually looking 
about and pricking up his ears ; and when he perceives 
anything, he begins to make with his nostrils a whistling 
noise, so piercing and shrill as to make all the neighbour- 
ing rocks resound. At the same time this animal stands 
upon his guard; if he whistles again, it is a sign of very 
imminent danger: he bounds away, and in the twinkling of 
an eye the whole herd is gone, scrambling over almost in- 
accessible rocks. The hunter, enraged at seeing his game 
escape, climbs the most rugged steeps, leaps the most 
tremendous abysses, traverses extensive plains of ice, and 
pursues his course without reflecting how he shall get 
back. The day declines ; night comes on ; he knows to 
what dangers he shall be exposed in the dark ; but nothing 



FIFTH EVENING. 57 

can check his ardour: animated by the hope of finding, 
when he awakes, the game that has escaped him, he passes 
the night upon a bare rock, exposed to the inclemency of 
the weather, in the dark, and separated from all the rest of 
mankind. He takes from his bag his supper, consisting 
only of oat-bread and cheese, with which he drinks snow- 
water and a small quantity of brandy. After this wretched 
fare, the poor hunter stretches himself out on the bare 
ground, in the open air, while so many thousands of his 
brethren are enjoying, in a lower region, and under shelter 
of their huts, the sweets of society and repose. The early 
dawn awakens the intrepid adventurer ; he surveys the 
abysses which he must clear to come at his prey; and, 
after drinking a dram, he throws his bag on his shoulder 
and pursues his way. 

Sometimes in ascending he loses himself among the 
rocks and glaciers ; so that he can neither advance nor re- 
cede a single step, without running the risk of going still 
further out of his way. Add to this a thick fog, which 
often intervenes, and prevents his seeing two yards before 
him. He is then obliged to wait till the mist disperses. In 
this dreary situation, his courage forsakes him not. In 
his way, he frequently meets with precipices, which he is 
obliged to leap over, if he would not lose his time in mak- 
ing a considerable circuit. What does he then ? — He stops, 
pulls off his shoes, takes his knife and cuts the soles of 
his feet; and at the moment when the blood begins to 
flow abundantly, he ventures a leap from one rock to the 
other, in which he very often succeeds, because the blood 
that runs ftom his feet keeps him from slipping. Fre- 
quently too the eager hunter pursues a shamoy to the most 
elevated point of a rock surrounded on all sides with the 
most tremendous precipices. The animal, being thus dri- 



58 EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 

ven to extremity, and having no other means of escape, 
springs over the head of his pursuer, and sometimes tum- 
bles him into the abyss beneath, if he neglects to throw 
himself on the ground, that the shamoy may pass without 
touching him. 

Gustav, But how is it possible that there can be people 
who expose themselves to such hideous dangers for the 
sake of a shamoy, or merely the skin of that animal? 

Mr, O, It is because these poor people partly subsist 
by the chase, and frequently conceive for this employment 
a passion which is often more violent than even that of 
gaming. In that country there are people whose father 
and grandfather have perished in this manner, who never- 
theless pursue this perilous occupation, and declare that 
they would not forsake it for all the gold in the world. 
But I v;ill relate to you the dangers which befell three hunt- 
ers while engaged in the pursuit of those poor animals. 
This story will convince you still more of the magnitude of 
the dangers to which they expose themselves. 

Three hunters were in pursuit of a shamoy on a glacier, 
which was so covered with snow that it was impossible to 
see the deep chasms into which, when melting, the water 
precipitated itself in torrents. The foremost of them was 
walking over one of these treacherous abysses, when the 
snow gave way and the poor fellow disappeared. In spite 
of his fright, he fortunately retained sufficient presence of 
mind to throw out his arms and legs, when falling, in such 
a manner as to remain suspended between two walls of ice, 
with a view of the torrents roaring as they fell in the hor- 
rid gulf beneath him. His comrades, having lost sight of 
him, began to be apprehensive that he had met with some 
accident; and on making the signals previously concerted 
among themselves, they knew that he was in danger, and 



d 



FIFTH EVENING. 59 

required immediate assistance. They returned as speedily 
as possible to the nearest hamlet, a good league distant, in 
quest of cords. Disappointed of finding any, they took a 
miserable bed-quilt, cut it in strips, which they tied toge- 
ther, and flew to the spot where they had left their unfor- 
tunate companion, who had continued during all this time 
in his painful position, exhausted, perishing with cold, and 
overwhelmed with fear every moment lest he should fall 
into the abyss. They let down the cord which they had 
contrived to make, and which the poor fellow fastened 
round his body: but, oh horror! at the very moment when 
they had pulled him up to the brink of the precipice, so 
that they could just reach him with their hands, the rope 
broke, the wretched man fell a second time into the yawn- 
ing gulf to a greater depth than before, and, to add to his 
misfortune, broke his arm. His comrades, however, were 
not discouraged; they joined their rope, twisted it to make 
it stronger, and threw it again to their companion, who, 
notwithstanding the fracture of his arm, fastened it around 
him, and was at length extricated from his most perilous 
situation. 

But it is not merely the dangers of the chase that threat- 
en the lives of these poor people; the quarrels and dis- 
putes which sometimes arise among them are not less de- 
structive. If, for example, an Italian and a Swiss hunter, 
or two hunters from different parishes, happen, without 
knowing it, to be in pursuit of the same animal, the conse- 
quence is a quarrel, which very often terminates in the 
death of one of them. I shall relate but one instance of 
this kind, which will suffice to enable you to judge how 
rude and brutal the manners of these people must be. 

A hunter of Savoy was pursuing a goat which he had 
severely wounded. Two hunters of the Vallais, a district 



60 EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 

of Switzerland, separated by lofty mountains from the ter- 
ritory of Savoy, fired at the same shamoy, and saw it. fall. 
According to the laws of the chase, the animal belonged 
to the Savoyard, by whom it had first been wounded : he 
being, besides, the nearest, ran up to it, threw his game 
upon his shoulders and went away. The Vallaisans, who 
chanced to be lower down than he, and could not get at 
the shamoy on account of a precipice, shouted to him, and 
ordered him to relinquish the prize ; at the same time a 
ball from one of their guns came whistling by his ears. 
The Savoyard, without paying the least attention to them, 
quietly pursued his way, till he heard a second ball whiz 
by him. Unfortunately the road was so rugged that he 
could not run, and he had neither powder nor ball to de- 
fend himself against his enemies. What was then to be 
done ? He found himself obliged to resign his prey. En- 
raged at having risked his life for nothing, he considered 
only how to revenge himself on the two Vallaisans who 
had thus obliged him to relinquish what he looked upon as 
his property, and concealed himself in a defile to watch 
the Vallaisans unperceived by them. He saw them at dusk 
enter a small hut, such as the shepherds of that country 
are accustomed to construct: and then ran to his own ha- 
bitation, two leagues distant, took a double-barreled gun, 
powder and ball, returned, not without danger, to the hut, 
and through a crevice in the boards beheld his two com- 
petitors seated by the fire. He softly thrust the muzzle of 
his gun through the crevice ; but just as he was taking 
aim, he considered that his enemies, since they fired at 
him, could not have had time to confess their sins, and 
consequently that, if he were to kill them, they would run 
the risk of eternal perdition. This reflectoin so softened 
the heart of the Savoyard that he abandoned his design ; 



H 



I 



FIFTH EVENING. 61 

and, abruptly entering the hut, he frankly acknowledged to 
the Vallaisans what he had intended to do. Such was the 
impression made upon them by this action, that they beg- 
ged pardon for their fault, thanked him for his forbear- 
ance, and shared with him the shamoy which had been 
the cause of their dispute. 

Mr. Oakley's children admitted that this was a very 
praiseworthy action, though every man of honourable prin- 
ciples would have done the same. 

EdiD, Does it not sometimes happen, papa, that the poor 
hunter's game tumbles down those precipices? 

Mr. O, Yes, but if there be the least chance of reco- 
vering it, you may be sure that he will risk everything for 
that purpose. He lays down his pouch and his gun, makes 
his way over snow, and across deep chasms, takes, from 
time to time, extremely dangerous leaps, and sometimes 
he is even obliged to go quite dow^n to the shamoy. If the 
animal has not been absolutely dashed in pieces by the 
rocks, he contrives, by means of a cord which these peo- 
ple commonly carry with them, to recover all his prey, 
or at least the best parts, leaving the rest for the vultures. 
Sometimes, also, to save the trouble of carrying his game, 
he throws it into a deep valley, with the intention of pick- 
ing it up when he has got down so low. 

Gustav. What is the value of a shamoy, for which a 
man thus exposes his life so many times ? 

Mr, O, The value of a shamoy is not considerable; 
when whole, it will sell for twenty or thirty shillings 
sterling. The more it is wounded or mangled, the less 
it is worth ; the principal thing, it is true, is the skin, 
which commonly fetches sixteen or twenty shillings. It 
is therefore rather a passion for hunting than the profit, 
which impels the hunter to traverse snow and ice, amidst 

VOL. II. 6 



62 EV-ENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 

darkness and fogs ; for it is not only poor people that are 
fond of this employment, but also those in opulent circum- 
stances. Among the latter history records a prince, who 
narrowly escaped perishing while hunting the shamoys on 
the Alps. This was MaximihaTr, who afterwards became 
Emperor of Germany, and who had so completely lost 
himself among those mountains that he knew not which 
way to take. The chronicles of the time relate that an 
angel extricated him from this disagreeable situation. Pro- 
bably some other hunter, or a shepherd who was better 
acquainted with the roads and paths among the Alps than 
the prince, met with him in this embarrassment, and put 
him into the way which he wanted to go. 

Gustav, This shamoy hunting must be a fine bold and 
exhilarating amusement; but of all field sports that which 
most takes my fancy is the ancient one of hawking. 

Mr. O, It was undoubtedly delightful in itself; and then 
they had all "means and appliances to boot;" beautiful la- 
dies* and gallant cavaliers on horseback, with hawk in hand, 
a numerous train of attendants ; and the free range of an ex- 
tensive country. It must have been rare sport; fit for the 
kings and nobles who delighted in it. 

You have seen what intrepidity man displays in hunting, 
in the air and in the water, for the means of subs istence ; 
he shows no less courage in penetrating the bosom of the 
earth when they are to be found therein. In vain has na- 
ture hidden the greater part of minerals in mountains or 
far beneath the surface of the earth ; man by patience and 
labour becomes master of them ; and we cannot but admire 
his genius when we examine the means he has employed 
to extract from the earth those minerals and treasures 
which are so beneficial to him. 

* See cut on page 54. 



FIFTH EVENING. 63 

By a wise dispensation of Providence the most useful 
are those which are most liberally bestowed. I shall not 
mention the quarries of stone, marble, granite, and grind- 
stones. As the explosion of these is more laborious than 
perilous or astonishing, I shall confine myself to those of 
salt, iron, and coal. 

It was, no doubt, a long time before man thought of ex- 
tracting metals from the stones which contained them. 
Sweden and Norway are exceedingly rich in copper and 
iron. Dalecarlia, a Swedish province, is nearly supported 
by its mines. In the neighbourhood of Fahlun there is a 
celebrated mountain of copper; the country round it is 
barren, and even at a considerable distance the effects of 
the smoke and the pestilential vapours may be discovered : 
all vegetation ceases in its environs : the entrance to it is 
down a stair for a short distance, but the rest of the sub- 
terraneous descent is performed by ladders and cords. 
The Dalecarlians are a hardy race, and endure the united 
efiects of great heat and noxious vapours most surpris- 
ingly. 

These Dalecarlians enjoy many privileges of which they 
are very proud, and the recollection that they have occa- 
sionally assisted their country at moments the most critical 
gives them an air of independence, which to an English- 
man is always gratifying. In the Swedish annals their 
deeds are numbered, and particularly those which assisted 
Gustavus Vasa to gain possession of his throne. When 
Charles XII. was a prisoner at Bender in Turkey, twenty 
thousand of these brave men offered to repair instantly to 
his rescue. 

The labour of extracting metals from the bosom of the 
earth is not greater than that which bestows upon us one 
of the most common necessaries of life. 



64 EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 

Echi\ Papa, I always thought salt was got from salt- 
springs. 

Mr, O. There are several means of procuring this neces- 
sary article. Near the seacoast, pits are dug, into which 
the salt-water is admitted ; the sun exhales the water, but 
the salt remains behind crystallized by the genial influence 
of the god of day. The salt-water which is found in springs 
is conducted into large reservoirs, where it is boiled, and 
by evaporation the salt is procured. But tliere is yet ano- 
ther method of procuring salt from mines. 

It is on this subject that I propose to speak to you to- 
night, and to direct your attention to an object in which 
nature has a much larger share than the hand of man ; I 
mean the famous salt mines of Poland, and their wonderful 
subterraneous excavations. The whole vicinity of the 
Carpathian mountains, from Silesia and Gallicia across 
Hungary to Wallachia and Moldavia, comprehending a 
space two hundred leagues in length, and twenty or thirty 
in breadth, seems to be but one single bed of salt, which 
may be considered as the base or foundation of those moun- 
tains. In this whole tract, salt-mines are wrought with 
great success; but the most productive and remarkable of 
them all is the mine at Wielitzka, six miles from Cracow. 
The town of Wielitzka is situated in a valley enclosed by 
mountains, which rise around it in the form of an amphi- 
theatre. The mines begin a little on this side of the town, 
pass underneath, and extend to a considerable distance 
beyond it on the other side. 

Gustav. Then the whole town is undermined? 

Mr. O, Yes ; and the cavities thus formed are larger 
than the whole town. In the environs of AYielitzka there 
are shafts or holes, which go down into these mines : each 
of these holes has a particular name and destination. The 



FIFTH EVENING. 65 

first seven are used for drawing up the salt as it is wrought, 
and letting down necessaries for the men and animals that 
live below. The eighth is appropriated to the labourers, 
who ascend and descend by means of ladders, the very 
sight of which is sufficient to intimidate people who are 
not very courageous. The ninth is solely used for water, 
and the tenth is set apart for strangers who visit these curi- 
ous works. It was this that I descended when I went to 
see the mines of Wielitzka ; and the way in which you 
descend is this. In the first place, several children, ap- 
prentices to the workmen, with lights, are fastened to a 
very strong rope, which reaches to the bottom of the mine, 
and is let down by a machine turned by a horse. The 
travellers are then slung in leather straps secured to the 
rope ; and if there are several going down, they are sus- 
pended two and two, above one another.* In this man- 
ner we were fastened, after dressing ourselves in miners' 
clothes ; and when the workmen had taken their stations 
above us, the signal was given, and we began to descend 
very slowly. After some time we entirely lost the light 
of day; the aperture above appeared smaller and smaller 
while an immense abyss opened beneath us, and presently 
we could hear nothing but the creaking of the pulleys of 
the machine which was letting us down, and our hearts 
beat violently at the dull and monotonous sound. 

The aperture at length grew so narrow, that we were 
obliged to make use of sticks which had been given us just 

* In this manner the horses also are let down. The poor crea- 
tures tremble in every limb, when they see themselves thus sus- 
pended in the air. Happily for tliem, they cannot know that it is 
for the last as well as the first time; for the horses intended for the 
use of the mines, when once let down, remain there for life, and 
never more behold the light of day. 

6* 



66 EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 

before we began our descent, to prevent our striking 
against the stones and rocks projecting from the side. It 
is impossible for me to give you any idea of my feelings, 
when I found myself cut off from the light of day, sus- 
pended in this dismal cavern over an abyss, which the dim 
light of our lamp rendered still more horrible. All that 
the poets have said respecting the descent and entrance to ., 
the infernal regions falls short of what I saw and felt on 1 1 
this occasion. At length we reached the first story, or 
contignation, as the miners call it. Here we enjoyed a 
spectacle unique in its kind, at once awful and interesting; j 
a spectacle, the reality of which I never should have be- 
lieved had 1 not been convinced of it by ocular demon- 
stration. At the first glance, I fancied myself transported j 
into another world, and we all remained some minutes 
stupified with astonishment. Figure to yourselves a sub- 
terraneous town, several miles in circumference, with its 
streets, houses, and squares ; men, carriages, and horses 
going to and fro in all parts ; in short, everything that is 
to be seen in the largest city. But what raised our asto- 
nishment to the highest pitch was, to find that all these 
wonderful things were cut out of the solid mass of salt. 
The pavement and the houses are composed of salt; the 
road by which you descend to this vast subterranean town is 
likewise of salt, and the prodigious columns resembling the 
finest crystal, which support these immense caverns, are of 
the same material. Add to this thousands of lamps, whose 
light reflected on every side by the crystallized salt, pro- 
duces the most beautiful mixture of colours that can be 
conceived, and exhibited to the view of the spectator en- 
chanted palaces, sparkling with diamonds, rubies, and sap- 
phires ; and you will have but a faint idea of the effect of 
this sight, so astonishing and impressive. Nature seems 



FIFTH EVENING. 67 

to have spared no pains to beautify these subterraneous 
regions for those who are doomed to reside there. 

Caroline. What then, do the labourers employed in them 
live continually under ground ? 

Mr, O. They live there with their families, and soon 
become familiarized to these abodes, where they find every- 
thing necessary for their subsistence. Streams of fresh 
water run through different parts, and furnish a pure and 
wholesome beverage for men and horses, which have like- 
wise their stables below. Our attention was also drawn 
to the chapels where the labourers assemble to prayers 
before they begin work, and hear mass, which is said there 
every morning. Everything that is to be seen in these 
chapels, some of which are for the labourers, and others 
for the officers and overseers, is of crystallized salt; the 
altars, the columns, the chandeliers, the images of the 
saints, all sparkle by candlelight, and produce an enchant- 
ing effect. — Having inspected all the curiosities of this first 
stage, we descended to the second, the third, and the 
fourth, all of which resembled the first; and quite at the 
bottom the people were busily employed in constructing a 
fifth. 

Edw, Of what nature is the work of the labourers in 
these mines? 

Mr. O, Their work is extremely laborious, and often 
very dangerous. When the overseers have marked out the 
masses or blocks of salt, which the labourers are to loosen 
and clear away, some of them fall to work to split these 
masses into several parts, and others to collect the frag- 
ments in large hogsheads. The place from which such a 
mass has been removed resembles a little grotto of crystal; 
and as a certain order is observed in these works, you see 
long galleries extending further than the eye can reach, 



68 EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 

having on either side a range of grottoes, all of which are 
of the same dimensions. You must be extremely well 
acquainted with these places not to lose yourself in this 
labyrinth ; nay, there are few of the labourei*s who can 
find their way without a guide ; but this is not the only 
danger which threatens those who pass their lives in these 
subterraneous abodes, after having in a manner renounced 
the world, and all communication with the rest of man- 
kind. It sometimes happens, that the pillars of salt, left 
to support the vault after working a quarry, however 
strong they may be, give way at last under the enormous 
mass which they have to sustain. The ground above them 
carries along with it in its fall whatever stands upon it, 
even the very houses of the town of Wielitzka, though 
some hundred feet above the mine. In the lower stages 
little fear is entertained of accidents of this kind ; because 
the directors, warned by fatal experience, now proceed 
more methodically than they formerly did, and make the 
pillars stronger and more solid, instead of merely detaching 
and carrying away the salt. 

Gustav, Then the town of Wielitzka, which stands 
over these mines, is not perfectly secure from such acci- 
dents. 

Mr, O, Unfortunately it has but too much reason for 
apprehension. It has been discovered, that some of the 
columns of salt have already bent considerably under the 
weight, and been almost entirely crushed by it; and, not- 
withstanding the precautions taken to prevent disasters 
of this kind, the town of Wielitzka is every moment lia- 
ble to be swallowed up, the consequence of which would 
be the total ruin of the mines. Another danger to which 
these miners are exposed arises from fire ; conflagrations 
have broken out several times, and among the rest one 



FIFTH EVENING. 69 

about the middle of the seventeenth century lasted near a 
year. — I must on this occasion call your attention to a 
kind of phenomenon which sometimes takes place in these 
mines, that is, the inflammation of the air. 

In some salt mines in Hungary an attempt was made to 
open a fresh quarry which had been neglected upwards 
of thirty years. The people employed in this operation 
perceived a dark passage, which one of the miners was 
sent with two of his comrades to examine. The man who 
went first with a lamp in his hand, perceived a cavity 
which descended perpendicularly in the rock; and, to as- 
certain what it was for, held his lamp down to it. The air, 
suddenly taking fire, rushed upward with the greatest fury 
out of the mine to the height of sixty feet, after knocking 
dov/n and burning the poor fellow who was the innocent 
cause of the accident. His companions, who had fallen 
down in their fright, sustained no further injury; but no- 
body durst in future approach this dangerous spot. In the 
mines of metals such circumstances prove still more disas- 
trous. I will just give you one example of the kind. An 
inspector of the tin-mines in Cornwall perceived at some 
distance from the spot where the men were at work, in a 
corner from which all the metal had been extracted, a 
small spherical mass resembling whitish smoke, of the size 
of a walnut. Justly supposing that this was the com- 
mencement of a mephitic vapour, which might in time 
prove dangerous, he resolved to disperse it, and ordered a 
candle to be held as near to it as possible. A violent ex- 
plosion, but not attended with any mischief, was the con- 
sequence. A few days afterwards, returning to the spot, 
he saw in the same place as before another ball of smoke 
forming; and as the first had been in no wise dangerous, 
he thought he might suffer the second to increase ; he 



70 EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 

therefore left it out of mere curiosity. The next and fol- 
lowing days he returned, and observed that the globe con- 
tinued increasing in size, and that on the fifth day it was 
as large as a man's head. It grew whiter and whiter, and 
kept gradually ascending. The miner began to be alarmed 
at its augmentation, and resolved to disperse it as he had 
done the other. Having ordered all the \yorkmen to re- 
tire to the distance of eighty paces, he fastened a candle 
to a long pole, and slowly approached the ball. It sud- 
denly took fire, exploded with a tremendous noise, and 
inflamed the whole atmosphere, as far as the place where 
the miners were stationed. Several fragments of rock were 
loosened and dropped near them. They had presence of 
mind enough to run away as fast as they could. The in- 
spector, struck with this accident, resolved, fortunately for 
himself, not to go near this dangerous spot again ; for in a 
few days, one of the miners having imprudently held his 
candle near a similar ball, it exploded with such violence 
as to cause a part of the mine to give way ; and the flame, 
issuing from an aperture, set fire to a neighbouring house, 
and killed the occupier, wuth his whole family ; besides 
which, eighteen of the workmen were crushed to death 
under the rocks. When you have acquired some know- 
ledge of natural philosophy and chemistry, you will be 
less astonished at an event like this; which, at present, I 
dare say, appears to you to border on the marvellous. 



( n ) 



SIXTH EVENING. 




"To-NiGiiT," said Mr. Oakley, as he took his seat in 
the library, "to-night I shall entertain you with the char- 
acter and economy of a nation, which has acquired a great 
reputation by its industry ; I speak of Holland. 

In order duly to appreciate the industry of the Dutch, 
you must first become acquainted with their immense la- 
bours in rendering their soil, in the first instance, merely 
habitable. Holland is so flat and low a country, that the 
sea is level with it, and even, in some places it is higher 
than the land. To prevent the encroachments of the 
ocean, the Dutch have constructed immense dykes ; for the 
want of these, formerly, the sea overflowed a large tract 
of country, from which it had receded ages before. 

Edw, Did the sea once cover Holland, papa ? 

Mr. O, Holland may be called a new country, which 
owes its existence to the subsiding of rivers and the ocean. 
The soil is consequently light, and its foundation rests, 
not like that of most other countries, upon solid rocks, and 
stones. The disasters which have at difTerent times be- 



72 EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 

fallen Holland, have been a warning to the Dutch, and if 
their country still exists, it may be said to be owing partly 
to their industry. The Gulfs of Zuyder Zee, Dollart, and 
Moordick were formerly fine provinces, covered with 
cities and villages. At the beginning of the third century, 
the sea swallowed them up. Towards the end of the 
fifteenth century, the Gulf of Dollart was formed ; a cen- 
tury afterwards, a great portion of Flanders was swept 
away ; and fifty years had scarcely elapsed, when another 
province, containing seventy-two villages, and one hundred 
thousand souls, was engulfed by the merciless deep. In- 
numerable and partial inundations, besides these, have 
repeatedly taken place ; but I shall pass them over in 
silence. 

The dykes upon the lower islands of the Zuyder Zee, 
are kept up at an enormous expense ; they lie upon the 
most substantial piles, and are so wide that four carriages 
can pass along abreast. When the wind blows strongly 
from the north and north-east, the sea, in the course of 
eight days, will destroy the work of years. These labo- 
rious works must then be repaired, or constructed anew, 
behind the remains of the former dykes. A small insect 
too, a worm, joins its minute, but destructive influence, to 
that of the ocean, in destroying these barriers of the coast 
of Holland, by perforating the piles, the foundation of the 
dykes ; it is even more dangerous than the sea itself. 

Gustav, It must be a work of considerable difficulty as 
well as labour to repair these dykes. 

Mr, O, Undoubtedly it is; and hence it is that they , 
ofiten prefer erecting fresh ones. We must allow that few 
people surpass the Dutch in patience and perseverance ; 
their country is a proof of this ; for, besides the innova- 
tions of the sea, they have to contend with such prodigious 



SIXTH EVENING. 73 

heavy rains, that they alone would be sufficient to over- 
whelm them, did not the inhabitants make artificial canals 
to carry off the water. It is here, as in many other in- 
stances, we must admire the genius of man, in his efforts to 
render his native soil habitable and agreeable. I entreat 
your whole attention as I give you the following details, 
and that you may tbe better comprehend them, I shall 
make use of a topographical map to assist my description 
of this wonderful country. 

As Mr. Oakley said this, he rose and fetched from a 
bookcase a very accurate and minutely drawn map of 
Holland. 

"Oh, what a singular looking country," exclaimed the 
children, "one sees nothing but canals and ditches." • 

Eliza, It is all cut up into squares of different sizes. 

il/r. O, Your observation is just, Eliza ; and you per- 
ceive, consequently, that all these canals, so connected, 
resemble a large net. In the spring, when the thaw has 
dissolved the ice, the villages resemble islands; it is then a 
curious sight to see all the little windmills at work. The 
pumps of these machines raise the water from the ditches, 
and force it into small canals, from whence they are con- 
veyed to the larger ones ; but as the banks of these are 
high and furnished with dykes, it is necessary to employ 
other windmills to raise the water to their level. The 
main canals are very wide, and fine roads are mostly seen 
on each side of them. The canals may be called the high 
roads, for they act as such. Yet these canals, large as 
they are, would not contain all the water which winter 
produces, unless it were carefully directed to immense 
sluices connected with the principal rivers. The industry 
of the Dutch has thus transformed a swampy and marshy 
country into one beautiful and fertile, where the meadows 

VOL. II. 7 



74 EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 

are well stocked with cattle: mills of all kinds, pretty 
country-houses with fine gardens, bordering for the most 
part the canals, neat villages inhabited by merchants and 
manufacturers ; these are the objects which greet the eye 
on every side. Large cities and towns intersected by 
canals, which are in this case mostly bordered by large 
trees, are thickly studded throughout the country. The 
dampness of the soil demands the most constant attention 
in the dwelling-houses : they are painted on the outside ; 
the pavement and windows are washed every day ; and, in 
fact, cleanliness is here carried to an excess which is an- 
noying to strangers. 

For instance, in the village of Saardam, which is about 
a league from Amsterdam, and famous as having been the 
residence of Peter the Great, it is forbidden to ride through 
the streets. But in the village of Broek you enter at the 
back door, for fear of soiUng the front one ; and in great 
houses, you change your shoes at the door, and put on 
clean ones, which are presented to you. You smile at 
this particularity ; it is no doubt carried to excess, but in 
such a damp country as Holland, it is, perhaps, little more 
than is necessary ; for the climate would otherwise have 
pernicious effects upon the constitution of the inhabitants, 
instead of which they are but slightly felt amidst the 
comforts which the Dutch have created in their cities and 
country. 

Gustav, I have heard the Dtitch compared with beavers 
for their industry. Is a beaver more industrious than other 
animals ? 

Mr, O. The industry of the beaver in constructing his 
dams and habitations are indeed surprising. He, however, 
only distinguishes himself by a particular instinct directed 
to a particular purpose, for which he has been fitted by 



SIXTH EVENING. 75 

nature. His conformation as well as his propensities show 
the life he was fitted for. Here* you have a drawing of 
one. See what a curious tail it has ; large, flat, and cover- 
ed with scales instead of hair. The animal was made for 
a mason, and furnished with his trowel. He was destined 
to build mud forts. His teeth too are peculiarly adapted 
for cutting down the trees which he has occasion for in 
building. 

But to return to the Dutch : — 

The spirit of order which this people exhibit in their 
houses, extends to their favourite occupation, — commerce. 
They have but little taste for what we call pleasure ; they 
live soberly and are wholly occupied by their affairs. 
Formerly the Dutch were factors to other nations in trans- 
porting different merchandises from one quarter of the 
world to another. Hence sprung their first riches : they 
became formidable by sea, and at length got possession of 
extensive lands in Europe, Asia, and even in America. 

It is curious, that one of the first articles which in com- 
merce contributed to their wealth and reputation, was a 
small fish — the herring. Tne herring fishery had so en- 
riched them in the sixteenth century, that from it they had 
the means of supporting a long war, and finally of obtain- 
ing their independence. 

This fishery employs a hundred thousand sailors annu- 
ally, twenty thousand of whom are Dutch. 

Gustav. I think I have read, papa, that the herrings 
come every year in great shoals froni the Icy Sea. 

Mr. O. Such has been the opinion of many naturalists ; 
this fact is, however, somewhat doubted; but this is very 
certain, that they are found between the forty-fifth degree 

* See cut on pag-e 71. 



76 EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 

of northern latitude and the pole, and that at a certain 
period of the year they visit the coast to deposit their 
spawn. 

By a Dutch law the fishermen can only throw their nets 
between the tw^enty-fifih of June and the fifteenth of July, 
and in order to encourage this fishery, a premium is given 
to the first boat which goes out and returns laden. Their 
nets are composed of silk, a thousand or twelve hundred 
feet long, at the ends of which are fastened large stones. 
They are unrolled by means of a capstan, and empty bar- 
rels fastened to the edge of the net show^s their position on 
the surface of the sea: confused by the nets, the fish at- 
tempt to glide through the meshes, but are caught by the 
fins and gills, and thus remain suspended. On the Dutch 
nets, the meshes are about an inch long, so that the little 
iish can slip through them. Their fishery would be more 
productive without this precaution, but w^ould diminish for 
the future. The Russians and the Swedes had formerly 
upon their coasts a good herring fishery ; but as the meshes 
of their nets were so small as to retain all the fish they ' 
caught, the fishery naturally and gradually decreased, and 
it is now not w^orth mentioning. The nets are cast at 
night, and lanterns are fastened to the upper parts; for 
fish, as I have before had occasion to observe, are easily 
attracted by light. It must be a curious sight to see a net 
thickly hung with herrings ; but sometimes in the midst of 1 
the fisherman's joy at his good fortune, a shark, or some " 
other destructive fish, gets entangled in the nets, in pur- 
suit of his prey, and destroys, not only the fish, but the 
net itself, by its boisterous efforts to free itself from its con- 
finement. 

The herrings w^ould soon spoil in their natural state ; 
so soon, therefore, as they are landed, their insides are 



SIXTH EVENING. 77 

taken out, and they are thrown into brine. The next day 
they are placed in casks with a large portion of salt ; 
from thence they are afterwards removed into other casks 
with fresh salt, and in this state thousands are exported. 
Some are, however, retained and prepared differently; 
after remaining in the brine twenty -four hours, they are 
tied by the gills to sticks, which are suspended in the 
chimney, and exposed to a thick smoke ; in the course 
of another twenty -four hours, they become, what we call, 
«* dried herrings." The English and the Swedes turn the 
intestines to account; the former feed pigs with them, and 
use them as manure. The Swedes do better ; they extract 
oil from them in the following manner': — On- their coasts 
there are generally several buildings, containing a number 
of great cauldrons, into which the intestines are flung; 
when these are dissolved in the boiling water, a q-uantity 
of cold water is poured into the cauldrons ; the oil then 
rises to the top, and is carefully skimmed off. The re- 
mains at the bottom of the vessel then make good manure. 

This lucrative article of commerce produces, as you may 
suppose, great wealth to Holland. There was a time when 
the Dutch engrossed this fishery, and they then employed 
fifteen hundred boats, and this was the period of their 
greatest splendour. 

The neighbouring states, Flanders in particular, had set 
them an example of industry. During the fourteenth and 
fifteenth centuries, the Low Countries were most flourish- 
ing, they were, indeed, the centre of commerce, connect- 
ing that of the south of Europe with that of the north. 

Bruges, Antwerp, Mechlin, and Ghent were then some 
of the most populous and industrious cities in this quarter 
of the globe. Vessels belonging to all nations filled the 
port of Bruges, and brought thither the productions of the 



78 EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 

remotest countries, in exchange for such as they wanted ; 
so that Bruges was the magazhie for ahnost all the com- 
modities of the then known world. The wealth circulated 
there was immense, and diffused prosperity through the 
adjacent provinces. The commercial cities of Germany, 
which had at an early period entered into a treaty of alli- 
ance, known in history by the appellation of the Hanseatic 
League, had extensive storehouses at Bruges. This city 
contained, besides, fifteen commercial companies, and a 
great number of foreign mercantile houses. Great num- 
bers of persons, engaged in trade, quitted, v»'ith their fami- 
lies, France, Spain, England, and Germany, for the pur- 
pose of settling at Bruges. All the towns of the Nether- 
lands were full of linen and vroollen manufactories, which 
afforded constant employment to a great number of skilful 
workmen. The excellent quality of their productions, 
which were exported to distant countries, deservedly pro- 
cured them a high character; and increasing wealth re- 
warded their indefatigable industry and activity. A skilful 
and diligent workman is sure to meet with a good recep- 
tion wherever he goes, and is never at a loss for a liveli- 
hood: but he loves peace and tranquillity; and when war 
begins to ravage the country in which he resides, he often 
removes with his art to another. Such was the course 
pursued in the middle ages by the artisans of the Low 
Countries, especially the weavers and manufacturers of 
cloth. Having been harassed and oppressed in some of 
the towns of Flanders, they went in great numbers and set- 
tled in other places. By this emigration the manufactures 
of the latter increased to ah astonishing degree. The city 
of Louvain alone contained, at that time, four thousand 
master weavers, and fifteen thousand journeymen; but 
these industrious people, receiving fresh molestations, 



H 



SIXTH EVENING.. . 79 

quitted the country and dispersed ; some repairing to Hol- 
land and Germany, and others to England. From this 
period our cloth manufactures have kept gradually rising 
into their present importance. At the end of the four- 
teenth century, however, Bruges was still the centre of the 
commerce of almost all Europe. The ships of the Hanse 
Towns hrought thither furs, deal and oak timber, beer, 
bacon, copper, and leather; and Spanish and Portuguese 
vessels arrived with cargoes of figs, raisins, wine, cochineal, 
raw silk, oil, quicksilver, and other commodities. The 
French there exchanged their salt, and red and white 
wines; and the English their wool, beer, lead,, and tin. 
Italian vessels imported the most valuable merchandise: 
the Genoese brought raw silks, gold and silver thread, 
cotton, and alum: the Florentines and Venetians came 
with spices and drugs from the Levant, jewels, sugar, and 
sweet wines. In short, there was not an article of neces- 
sity, convenience, or luxury, but what was bartered at 
Bruges, and there found buyers and sellers. Several 
useful inventions which began to be generally adopted 
about that period added new branches to the commerce 
of the Netherlands, and gave an increased stimulus to 
talents and industry. In 1410, a painter of Bruges, 
named Van Eyck, made improvements in the art of paint- 
ing in oil; from that time pictures executed by means of 
these new processes were in such request in foreign coun- 
tries that the painters of the Netherlands could not furnish 
them fast enough. Printing, invented in 1440, and en- 
graving on wood, which was brought in to its aid, gave a 
fresh impulse to industry. Soon afterwards attempts w^ere 
made to engrave on metal, and a new pleasure was af- 
forded to the lovers of the fine arts. At Nuremberg, in 
Germany, hand-guns and watches were about the same 



80 EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 

time invented. Another inhabitant of Bruges discovered 
the method of cutting and polishing diamonds. All these 
fortunate discoveries produced great changes in manners 
and the way of living. Luxury increased with the wealth 
which £owed into the Low Countries. Bruges, which 
owed its splendour. to the laborious industry of its manu- 
facturers, grew too opulent, and began to conceive too 
strong a relish for indolence and ostentation, to preserve 
the same character. Commerce cannot be upheld with- 
out industry and activity ; and when these two supports 
fail, the momentary lustre which it diffused declines and 
disappears. So it fared with Bruges. The inhabitants 
being gradually habituated to pomp, and having relinquish- 
ed the simple and modest manners of their forefathers, ne- 
glected business, and affronted the foreigners who had 
hitherto resorted to that mart. Another city found means 
to attract them, and to win their confidence : Antwerp in- 
creased at the expense of Bruges, and soon eclipsed, by 
its astonishing splendour, the high reputation which the 
latter had hitherto exclusively enjoyed. We shall see to- 
morrow to what a pitch of grandeur Antwerp attained about 
the middle of the sixteenth century. This account cannot 
fail to interest you, because it relates to one of the most 
flourishing periods of modern history. The human mind, 
tired with the descriptions of so many wars and fatal 
catastrophes, with which the history of all ages and of all 
nations is filled, turns with double satisfaction to the picture 
of the periods of their prosperity. These, indeed, occupy 
but a very small space, in proportion to the rest of history; 
but, at least, they demonstrate to what a degree of felicity 
human society may attain by the arts of peace, and by the 
exercise of the intellectual faculties which Providence has 
conferred on man. So much for to-night. 



( 81 ) 



SEVENTH EVENING. 




Mr. Oakley's children, as you may suppose, did not 
keep him waiting for them the following evening. Their 
father entered, and thus resumed the account which the 
night before he had been obliged to break off. 

The rapid increase of the grandeur of Antwerp is a cir- 
cumstance of which there are but few parallels in history. 
Few cities have risen solely by commerce to the degree of 
splendour to which that place attained in the sixteenth 
century. 

It was chiefly by the strict honour and punctuality of 
its merchants that this city drew foreign nations to its 
mart, and soon became the centre of the commerce then 
carried on with all quarters of the world. There was no 
region, however remote, in which the merchants of Ant- 



82 EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 

werp were not known and in high credit. The richest 
commercial men of other countries repaired in great num- 
bers to Antwerp, and settled there with their families. 
The wealth which poured into the city was immense; and 
the merchandise brought thither from all parts of the 
globe accumulated to such a degree that its extensive 
warehouses could scarcely contain them. An author of 
the time assures us, that every valuable and curious pro- 
duction of both Indies, Asia, and Africa abounded at 
Antwerp. ''Its storehouses," says he, "overflow wnth 
all the productions wafted by the Nile, the Ganges, the 
Tagus, the Seine, the Rhone, the Tiber, the Rhine, the 
Danube, and other famous rivers. INIarble, ivory, and 
brass are there piled up in enormous heaps : you there see 
mountains of pepper, ginger, and other spices, as also of 
rare and costly w^oods. The sliops are filled with immense 
quantities of rich stufls and silks of the most beautiful 
colours. In short all the treasures of nature and art are 
there displayed." 

In the middle of the sixteenth century Antwerp had 
twelve thousand houses, and upwards of two liundred 
thousand inhabitants, both citizens and foreigners, who 
were almost all engaged in some branch of trade or manu- 
facture : the skill and punctuality of the Antwerpers were 
celebrated throughout all Europe. Children, no more 
than five or six years old, imitated the example of their 
parents, and earned a livelihood by making email wares. 
One of tlie principal sources of wealth to the city was 
the fishery and trade in fish, which afiorded employ- 
ment and profit to a great proportion of its inhabitants. 
On market days, eight or nine hundred ships were some- 
times collected in the port of Antwerp, and upwards of 
seventy-five thousand cod-fish sold on account of the 



SEVENTH EVENING. g3 

fishermen in one day. Fish abounded in general at the 
tables of the rich as well as of the poor: and immense 
quantities were besides exported to France, Spain, Eng- 
land, and Italy. 

The circulation of money could not be more active 
than in that city: the amount of the business annually 
transacted there was estimated at five hundred millions of 
crowns of Brabant, exclusive of what was done in the way 
of barter, the total amount of which was never known. 
One banker paid a single draft for seven hundred thousand 
guilders in specie; a month afterwards he paid a million; 
three months after that, three millions moi:e ; and then, in 
a short time, seven hundred thousand. In the houses of 
the great merchants, the stranger was dazzled with the gold, 
silver, and precious stones which glistened in every part 
of them. ^ ^ 

Commercial prosperity and great wealth are always ac- 
companied by a taste for the fine arts, and awaken genius. 
The prospect of gain sharpens the invention, and the hope 
of acquiring a fortune encourages artists. No city of that 
time afforded them such resources as Antwerp; and thither 
the ablest painters, architects, statuaries, and engravers 
consequently resorted. Most of these artists had been 
educated in Italy ; but Antwerp alone could worthily reward 
their efforts and. their talents. These again instructed a 
great number of pupils, who afterwards dispersed them- 
selves throughout all the countries of Europe. 

Antwerp had then arrived at the highest degree of splen- 
dour to which any city ever exalted itself by its own pro- 
per means: but cities and states are liable to the same 
vicissitudes as individuals : their splendour passes away, 
and leaves nothing but the pleasing recollection behind it. 
The greater their prosperity, the nearer is their decline, 



84 EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 

and the more tremendous their fall. Wealth is very oftei 
the first step towards indigence ; because, in extraordinary 
good fortune, men are rarely capable of keeping- within tin 
bounds of moderation, and avoiding excesses. In propor^ 
tion as the merchants of Antwerp grew rich, they lost ty 
simplicity and integrity which had gained them the confi- 
dence of foreigners ; they became proud and prodigal; thi 
folly of striving to surpass one another in luxury and ex- 
pense seized most of them, and deranged their affairSi 
Their haughty behaviour disgusted great numbers of foreign 
ers ; the Dutch strove to draw to their country part of thi 
trade of Antwerp ; and, being more sober, more industrious^ 
more punctual in their dealings than the merchants of thi 
Netherlands, their enterprises prospered, and they acquiret 
wealth by prudent and judicious speculations. 

Such was the first cause of the decline of Antvverpi 
Events of another kind, which have so often overthrown 
empires and cities, completed the ruin of that celebratec 
mart. War, the greatest of calamities, ravaged the mosi 
flourishing cities of Brabant, and gave a mortal blow tc 
commerce and industry, which had rendered them so opu- 
lent. The Netherlands belonged to the King of Spain, 
Philip the Second, a prince who persecuted with excessiv.e 
severity the various sects which had separated from the 
church, then swayed the Spanish sceptre. His intolerant 
sentiments drove his subjects into rebellion; they assertec 
their right to change their government; and endeavoured 
by force of arms, to emancipate themselves from the au 
thority which they had hitherto obeyed. The intestinfl 
commotions began in 1567, and drew down numberless 
calamities on the inhabitants of these provinces. Antwerp, 
their capital, was destined to suffer, the most severely, and 
long to feel the effects of civil war. In November, 1576, 



SEVENTH EVENING. 85 

this magnificent city was taken by the Spanish troops, and 
ravaged in the most terrible manner. The town-house and 
eight hundred other houses, were consumed by fire; seven 
thousand citizens of distinction perished by the sword of 
the enemy, and the place was given up to plunder for 
three successive days. The booty taken by the soldiers 
was prodigious ; but as the city was surrounded by the 
troops of the states, it could not be carried away. The 
soldiers, as thoughtless in their pleasures as they were 
cruel in their rage, then assembled at the exchange ; where 
they placed a great number of tables, played for whole days 
together, and lost in a few moments the prodigious sums 
of which their rapacity had dispossessed the lawful owners. 
Some of them, more covetous or more prudent, had cuirasses 
and arms made of solid gold; with which they sallied from 
the city, after staining them with a black liquid, which gave 
them a colour resembling that of iron ; but the goldsmiths, 
not less artful than the soldiers, contrived to keep part of 
the gold, and to supply its place with copper. 

The long duration of this war, and the consequent cala- 
mities, famine, pestilence, and want, made such a total 
change in the condition of the Netherlands that they re- 
tained scarcely any traces of their former splendour. No- 
thing can be more striking than the contrast between these 
provinces ravaged by war, and their flourishing state pre- 
viously to the troubles. That population which had before 
given life to the smallest places, and made them commer- 
cial towns, had disappeared ; many fine villages were de- 
serted; the fields, so lately covered with abundant crops, 
were now overrun with thorns and briars : thick woods 
usurped the lands which had been cultivated with such care ; 
and, instead of happy people, the passenger met with 
nothing but wild animals, chiefly wolves and foxes, which 

VOL. II. g 



86 E^TSNING ENTERTAINMENTS. 

the small number of inhabitants who remained were unable 
to destroy. The largest towns, Antwerp, Bruges, Ghent, 
Brussels, Ypres, and others had lost the greatest part of 
their industrious citizens, who were dispersed over the 
world. The fortune of war had reduced the most distin- 
guished families to indigence ; people, who by their in- 
creasing wealth had excited the envy of their fellow citizens, 
asked charity after dark in the streets, or w^ere obliged to 
sell their furniture and effects, that they might not perish 
of hunger. 

Moreover, other nations about this time established 
commercial marts in their own territories. Speculation 
became more extended, and enterprises more divided, es- 
pecially in consequence of the intercourse with America; 
and since the fall of Antwerp, scarcely any city has been 
able to draw to itself, like that place, all the business of 
the whole commercial world. 

You see, my dears, what prosperity, industry, and the 
arts can diffuse through a state ; but the example of Ant- 
werp likewise shows the fatal effects of excessive wealth, 
and the difficulty of keeping in a happy mediocrity. 

Before we have done with the interesting history of the 
commerce of past ages, I will give you some account of 
a very curious kind of traffic, which was for some time in 
fashion in Holland, and even produced a sudden kind of 
revolution in that country. These particulars will con- 
vince you of the truth of my obsen'ation, that men rarely 
know how to keep within the bounds of moderation, and 
too frequently fall into reprehensible excesses. Fortu- 
nately, the instance that I am about to adduce was of less 
consequence than those which I have already related, and 
only shows the absurdity of men when under the influence 
of any prevailing fashion or folly. 



SEVENTH EVENING. 87 

Among the native productions of the east, introduced 
into Europe by means of its relations with India, was a 
flower which the Turks call tulibant, and which received 
in Europe the appellation of tulip. It appears to have 
been well known in this part of the world so early as the 
middle of the sixteenth century. These flowers, you 
know, though of every variety of colour, are not the 
greatest ornaments of our gardens, being surpassed by 
many others in beauty and fragrance. Nevertheless the 
tulip, about a century after its transplantation into Europe, 
acquired a consideration which no other flower ever ob- 
tained; so that it was valued far above even the most 
precious metals. The lovers of flowers seemed to be 
seized with a sort of madness, which has been aptly de- 
nominated tulipomania. I shall endeavour to give you a 
clear and simple explanation of the folly which this word 
denotes, and of which there are but few parallels. 

It was from 1634 to 1637 that the tulipomania raged in 
Holland, particularly at Harlaem, Amsterdam, Utrecht, 
Alkmaer, Leyden, Rotterdam, Horn, Enkhuysen, and other 
places. In those years tulips rose to enormous prices, 
and enriched many speculators. The florists held in 
particular estimation certain species, to which they gave 
particular names, and which they sold dearer than others. 
A single root of the variety called viceroy produced the 
owner four fat oxen, eight hogs, twelve sheep, ten hun- 
dred weight of cheese, two pipes of wine, a bed and 
furniture complete, a silver cup, a great quantity of corn, 
and other provisions, to the value of twenty-five thousand 
florins. 

These roots were sold by weight, like the most valuable 
commodities ; an ounce often cost several thousand florins : 
the most esteemed variety was that called semper augustus: 



88 EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 

it was valued at two thousand florins, and reported to 
be so rare that there were but two roots of the kind; 
one at Harlaem, and the other at Amsterdam. A flower- 
fancier oflered for one of these, four thousand six hundred 
florins, and a fine coach and two horses into the bargain. 
Another person gave twelve acres of land for a root. 
In 1637, the collection of tulips of one individual, w^as 
sold, after his death, by his heirs, for the enormous sum 
of nine thousand pounds ; one single semper aiigustus 
sold for two thousand florins. 

Everybody's head w^as turned by the passion for tulips; 
those who had not ready money bartered away their lands 
and houses to procure them. The florists, and other per- 
sons who were engaged in the cultivation of flowers, in a 
very short time made immense fortunes. All classes of 
society were therefore desirous of embarking in the trade; 
and all the Dutch from the first gentleman in the land to 
the chimney-sweeper and rag-man, began to speculate on 
the tulipomania. A bed of tulips was considered the great- 
est treasure that a person could possess, and was worth at 
least as much as the most magnificent palace. It is relat- 
ed, that a sailor, having brought some goods to a merchant 
who cultivated tulips in his garden for this speculation, 
received from the latter a herring for breakfast. As he 
was going away with it, he saw some roots in the garden; 
and thinking they were common onions, he began quietly 
eating them with his herring; At this moment the mer- 
chant came up, and perceiving what he was about, ''Vil- 
lain !" cried he, in a tone of despair, "your breakfast has 
ruined me ; I could have regaled a monarch at half the ex- 
pense." The poor sailor, as you may suppose, was in 
the utmost astonishment; and it was not without diff]cul- 
ty that he was made sensible of his mistake. 



SEVENTH EVENING. 89 

The rapid increase of private fortunes made people neglect 
everything to engage in the speculations of the moment. 
The taverns and alehouses resembled little exchanges; 
bargains were there concluded in the presence of notaries 
and witnesses, for a few tulip-roots ; and in general these 
negotiations, which were transacted with the utmost grav- 
ity were followed by splendid entertainments. It has 
been calculated, that in one single town of Holland the 
dealings in tulips amounted in three years to ten millions 
of florins. It should be observed, however, that those 
who carried on this traffic did not cultivate the flowers, 
but only bought and sold '^ and it was frequently the case, 
that neither the buyer nor the seller ever saw the tulips for 
which they bargained. Others engaged to supply roots, 
which in fact they never furnished : before the flowering 
season, arrangements and negotiations were concluded for 
the sale and purchase of more tulips than perhaps all the 
gardens in Holland contained. There existed, as I have 
told you, but very few flowers of the variety cdllei seinper 
augustiis ; and yet no other kind was so frequent in com- 
merce as that. A gentleman would perhaps buy of a chim- 
ney-sweeper two thousand florins worth of tulips, and sell 
them again to a farmer at a still higher price ; and yet none 
of the three ever had the tulips, or thought of obtaining 
possession of them. It was not properly speaking in tulips 
that they trafficked, but in money. Had the rarity and 
beauty of the tulips been the object of this trade, people 
would have bestowed the utmost attention on the cultiva- 
tion of that flower: they would have gone to its native 
country, the east, and sought the most beautiful species all 
the world over: but, instead of this, the speculators never 
quitted their alehouse, and enriched themselves by an ex- 

8-* 



90 EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 

traordinary kind of jobbing; the whole secret of which 
was this : 

Suppose a dealer engaged to furnish a gentleman at the 
expiration of six months with a tulip-root of any particular 
sort, for the sum of a thousand florins; at the expiration of 
the time agreed upon, the price of that variety was either 
higher or lower, or perhaps the same as before. If the 
current price of one thousand florins had meanwhile risen 
to fifteen hundred, the gentleman did not demand his tulip, 
but the dealer was obliged to pay him five hundred florins 
in cash ; but if the price was lower than at the time of 
making the bargain, say eight hundred florins, the gentle- 
man, on the contrary, paid the dealer the sum of two 
hundred. If, liowever, the tulips were neither dearer 
nor cheaper at the end of six months, neither party 
lost or gained, and their contract was at an end. Every- 
thing depended on the price current, by which they regu- 
lated their agreements and bargains ; and the dealers were 
as anxious to know the prices of tulips every day, asi| 
people are with us to inquire the prices of stocks. It^ 
frequently happened, that the same person gained of one, 
and lost to another ; and if he had no cash to pay his 
debts, he referred his creditors to those who had lost to ,■ 
him; so that plenty of business might be transacted with-'f 
out tulips, and even without money. As everybody was 
desirous of participating in this kind of stock-jobbing, 
the rich speculated on the rarest species, while the bar- 
gains of the lower classes were confined to the most com- 
mon sorts. Taking all circumstances into consideration, 
this commerce in tulips, or rather tulipomania, was in 
reality a game of chance, by which all were at first se- 
duced by the immense profits to be derived from it ; but 
as these speculations possessed only a fictitious lustre, and 



I 



SEVENTH EVENING. 91 

had no solid foundation, the gamesters were at length un- 
deceived, and learned, to their cost, that excessive cupidity 
generally makes dupes of those by whom it is harboured, 
and that labour and industry are the surest road to fortune. 

Nations and individuals, who apply themselves to com- 
merce, cannot, I repeat it, hope for prosperity, except 
from industry and frugahty. To conclude the history of 
the tulipomania, I shall add, that in a few years the rage 
for speculations rose to such a height that most of those 
who engaged in them were at length unable to fulfil their 
contracts. Others squandered the wealth which they had 
so easily acquired; whilst others again more discreetly 
relinquished the traffic, and would no longer subject their 
property to continual risk. The price of tulips fell 
lower and lower; the sellers, to avoid utter ruin, offered 
the buyers natural tulips, but the latter would not have 
them. Hence arose numberless squabbles and law-suits : 
the tribunals refused to decide these complicated affairs ; 
and the speculators were obliged to abate their extravagant 
demands, and to take what they could get. Many were 
ruined, and had unfortunately conceived an aversion to 
their original occupations, which had furnished them with 
the means of a comfortable subsistence. Accustomed to 
indolence and reverses of fortune, they chose rather to live 
in penury than to return to their former employments. 
The eyes of all were at length opened, and many people 
became sensible of their folly and shame, at the expense of 
their property and peace of mind. 

At the beginning of the last century a game of chance 
of the like nature was introduced into France, by a man 
named Law, a Scotchman, who had gained the confidence 
of government by exhibiting a plan which was greatly to 
benefit the finances of the state. He was appointed direc- 



92 EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS, 

tor of a company of merchants trading to Louisiana ia, 
America, and he opened a bank at Paris. By spreading Jl 
report that gold and silver mines had been discovered in 
Louisiana richer than those of Peru, he roused the spirit of 
cupidity ; every one hastened to partake of the working of 
these mines ; shares vi^ere purchased with avidity, and thii 
speculation became in the end an insatiable passion. Thi 
price of the shares rose from five hundred francs to a 
thousand: fresh shares were now offered, misers them* 
selves could not resist the temptation, exchanging theii 
treasures against bits of paper, which were to produce 
wealth without end. All ranks of the nation speculated; 
Law was looked up to as a universal benefactor; no private 
individual had ever enjoyed so large a share of consider- 
ation ; a single audience with this banker was talked of ag 
an important circumstance in a man's life. This mania 
extended to the provinces, the country people flocked to 
Paris to partake of the happiness of the Parisians ; the 
bank was besieged from morning tilJ night; but, as the trea- 
sures for which they exchanged their solid gold for that ia 
the mines of Louisiana arrived not, the confidence of the 
people began to be shaken. They became anxious to dis- 
pose of their paper shares ; but as everybody nearly pos- 
sessed more or less of these valueless tickets, there were 
no purchasers. The bank was then beset, not for paper 
shares, but for money ; and Law, after having been flat- 
tered, blessed, and courted, was compelled to a disgraceful 
and hasty flight. It was now perceived that instead of 
lightening the burthens of the state it had indeed added to 
them. This being the case, government had recourse to 
other and more substantial means. But the failure of this 
scheme did not prevent the French, in imitation of our 
bank notes, resorting to a plan of the same kind during 



SEVENTH EVENING. 



93 



the revolution. They issued assignafs; but the nation in 
general was not to be so readily duped a second time : 
some few persons were ruined, some few made their for- 
tunes, but the assignats were quickly withdrawn from cir- 
culation. A few have been saved as curiosities, and as a 
melancholy remembrance of the unhappy epoch. 

I must, however, revert to Holland and to flowers ; the 
city of Harlaem has to this day preserved a peculiar taste 
for flowers. About a century after the tulip mania a pas- 
sion for" hyacinth arose, and in 1730 a single root was 
sold for a hundred Louis d'or ; but this passion was of short 
duration, and the hyacinth soon sunk to the same level as 
the tulips ; yet the Dutch florists still cultivate the finer 
sorts of hyacinths, which are high priced. Besides which, 
they possess a great profusion of the principal flowers of 
the parterre, and they even form a considerable article of 
commerce with them. This taste has extended itself to 
Flanders, where in some cities exhibitions are held in the 
spring : those amateurs who produce the finest specimens 
are entitled to a prize. The ladies are candidates in this 
innocent contest with the gentlemen. 

At the conclusion of the evening, Edward begged his 
father would permit him to skait on the following day with 
his brother Gustavus, as the river was frozen completely 
over. Mr. Oakley consented, adding, '* It is in the coun- 
try we have just discussed that skaiting is carried to the 
greatest perfection. Holland, being everywhere inter- 
sected by gulfs, canals, and rivers, presents, on all sides, 
vast plains of ice, which furnish much amusement, and are 
the grand means of communication between distant parts. 
Men and women, old people and young, all skait, some- 
times alone, sometimes in companies. The gulf of Y 
before Amsterdam, and the Mercer at Rotterdam become 



94 EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 

the scene of general diversion. The country people profit 
by the frost to carry easily their goods to market: the 
ladies are conducted in sledges by good skaiters: they 
have also a kind of boat, which, resting upon two pieces of 
iron, glides like a sledge ; when it is furnished with a sail it 
seems to fly along the surface of the ice. The Danes and 
Swedes are as good skaiters as the Dutch; indeed, almost 
all the northern nations excel in this amusement. They 
make parties of pleasure, they travel, and they thus carry 
provisions and merchandise in a very short space of time 
from one place to another." 

Caroline observed, that she should like to know what a 
person who had never seen water frozen would say of thiai j 
amusement. 

Mr. O, You may infer the effect of such a sight from 
the following anecdote, which I read in some book of tra- 
vels : — An ambassador of the Emperor of Morocco at the 
Hague, desirous of giving his master some idea of the 
amusement of skaiting, wrote to him, that during a certain 
season, all the rivers of the Netherlands were covered with 
a kind of cake, which looked like sugarcandy, and was( 
capable of bearing carriages and horses; that at such times 
multitudes of men and women took infinite pleasure in 
running as swiftly as an ostrich upon these cakes, with the 
help of a couple of very smooth irons, which they fastened 
to their feet. The Emperor of Morocco looked upon this 
account of his ambassador as so incredible that he called 
him a story-teller. 

Gustav, This story reminds me of a female Creole who 
arrived in Paris before last winter from the Isles of France, 
Seeing one morning the houses and streets covered with 
snow, she exclaimed, "Oh, I wonder who has covered al 
the places with white cloth ?" 



I 



SEVENTH EVENING. 95 

Mr, O, In a country where the inhabitants live so near 
the water, it will naturally be supposed that frequent ac- 
cidents happen. In order to render them less fatal, a 
charitable society has been established at Amsterdam to 
restore those to life in whom the vital spark is not quite 
extinct, and to reward those who shall save the life of a 
fellow creature. This charitable institution, the first of its 
kind, was established on account of the dangers of the water 
and their remedies, and in the course of six years two 
hundred persons were rescued from a watery grave. Most 
of the other nations of Europe established societies of the 
same kind. In 1771 Paris had an establishment, and in 
1774 London followed her example, as did other cities of 
England, under the title of "Humane Societies." 

Gusfav. *0f the various amusements, which you have 
mentioned, among the people you have visited, do you 
recollect to have seen any which were, on the whole, pre- 
ferable to the field sports of our own country ? 

Mr, O, I am hardly qualified to answer that question 
with impartiality, as I happen to be very partial to our 
English sports. Fox-hunting is an exilarating, though 
rather wild sport; in my young days I was extravagantly 
fond of shooting,* not so much I think on account of any 
pleasure I took in destroying the harmless birds, for I often 
felt compunctious visitings as I saw the poor things flutter- 
ing and gasping after the faXal shot — but on account of the 
delightful scenery and the thousand agreeable sights, inci- 
dents, and sounds, which a sportsman meets with in only 
passing a single day in the woodlands. But I would not re- 
commend you, my boys, to practise shooting. Botanizing, 
or seeking minerals, will familiarize you with the wild 
haunts of nature, without causing pain to any living thing, 

* See cut on page 81. 



( 96 ) 



EIGHTH EVENING, 




1 



Mr. O, Germany, with the account of which I shall 
entertain you this evening, is composed of many great anc 
small states governed by different sovereigns, who have 
formed a confederation for their common interests. Undei 
the Roman Emperors it was a barbarous province, but in 
these times, it is the country of all others, where the Greel 
and Latin classics are most studied. By study, labour, 
and economy, the Germans are become a great nation, to 
whom we are indebted for many important discoveries. A 
happy emulation prevails among several of their minorj 
cities, the effects of which are distinguishable in their com' 
merce and industry. 

Until the commencement of the thirteenth century they' 
had innumerable difficulties to struggle against. The no- 
bility, infatuated by the chivalrous spirit of those days, 
cared but little for aught but adventures; they fortified 



II 



EIGHTH EVENING. 97 

themselves in their castles, made war with each other, and 
despised the merchants who neither could nor would fight. 
Oftentimes they confined them in strong castles, or watch- 
ed for them and pillaged them on the public road ; thus 
many of these castles were in fact but receptacles for dar- 
ing banditti. The princes dared not protect the oppressed 
merchants, who, by their connection with the Jews, were 
in some degree partakers of the contempt to which that un- 
happy race was doomed. Yet the spirit of. commerce 
opposed this violence, and finally gained the esteem of 
the other classes of society. Those merchants who had 
an extensive commerce associated together for their mutu- 
al safety. In the middle of the thirteenth century, two com. 
mercial cities, Hamburg and Lubeck, were the first which 
formed a treaty against the pirates and powers who appear- 
ed resolved to crush their commerce. 

This treaty was called the Hanseatic League. The ci- 
ties composing it armed vessels which drove away the pi- 
rates that had infested the German Ocean and the Baltic 
Sea. Other commercial cities soon discovered the advan- 
tages of this alliance, and entreated permission to join it; 
and the cities of Wiemar, Rostock, Stralsund, Groningen, 
Lunenburg, Bresme, Magdeburg, Halle, Goslar, and some 
others were successively admitted. All these cities were 
remarkable for a spirit of activity : their ships visited every 
port; they had factories in England, Spain, Flanders, Ita- 
ly, Norway, and Russia ; princes protected them, and even 
sought their alliance. The inland cities enriched them- 
selves by the convoy of merchandise to and from the ports. 
The road to Italy passed through Augsburg and Frankfort ; 
the merchandise from Asia came by way of Riga, and the 
other ports of the Baltic : by Strasburg, Aix la Chapelle, 
and Brussels they corresponded with France ; all these 

VOL. II. 9 



98 EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 

places became eminent as the resort of merchants, artists, 
and workmen. 

At Frankfort a fair was established to which all the mer- 
chants of Europe repaired. Gold and silver abounded in 
the great cities of Germany ; the goldsmiths and jewellers 
received these metals from Saxony and other countries 
where mines were worked. Each trade formed a corpora- 
tion by itself, into which were admitted only expert and 
clever men ; and these watched over their common inte- 
rests and kept order among the different members.' In the 
evening and on Sundays the masters of the corporations 
assembled together for amusement. This custom still con- 
tinues in several cities of Germany. 

Endowed with a peaceable temper and much patience, 
the Germans have distinguished themselves greatly by their 
inventions, and the perfiection to which they have brought 
them. The art of oil painting, which was revived in Flan- 
ders, was adapted by the Germans to the painting of ta- 
pestry, and they soon supplied other countries with this 
article. 

A monk of Cologne, named Schwartz, discovered in the 
fourteenth century the art of making gunpowder, as he was 
performing a chemical operation. The explosion at first 
terrified him ; a second time he mixed the same ingredients, 
viz. charcoal, nitre, and sulphur, and reducing this sub- 
stance to a certain proportion, produced gunpowder. The 
Arabs were acquainted with a destructive mixture of this 
kind, in which naphtha formed a part. The Chinese too 
w^ere acquainted with a combustible powder with which 
they composed their fireworks. The Germans soon learn- 
ed to apply this destructive powder to the uses of war; 
they cast cannon and made guns, and this fabrication oc- 
cupied many artisans. 



EIGHTH EVENING. 99 

Caroline. Papa, is it not a very bad thing that gunpow- 
per was invented? 

Mr, 0, That certainly may be called a bad invention 
which injures ; but the sad desire to injure our fellow crea- 
tures did not arise from this invention ; for since men have 
assembled in societies the passions of their nature make 
them revengeful. You know from history that the wars 
of former times were as sanguinary as those of the present 
day. Instead of cannons and guns, the ancients made use 
of catapults, slings, and bows : they fought hand to hand. 
The present system of warfare is more scientific than that 
of former times, but I doubt wliether it is more sanguina- 
ry. But war, even when undertaken in our own defence, 
is always too much so, and calls forth all the sympathies 
of suffering humanity. 

But we are indebted to the Germans of the middle ages 
for more agreeable and more useful discoveries. An 
artisan of Nuremberg invented watches ; clocks had already 
supplied the place of the hourglass. The first clock which 
appeared in Europe was that which Haroun al Raschid 
sent to Charlemagne. This was indeed a royal present: 
no such ingenious method of dividing time was known to 
us at that time. 

Edw. Papa, how did the ancients divide time? 

Mr, O, In the earliest ages men were reduced to mere 
observation upon the position of the sun, the state of the 
firmament, or the length and position of shadows. To 
shepherds and peasants who pass their time in the open 
air, this was no difficult task: from hence arose pyramids 
and obelisks, whose shadows indicated the hour, and sun- 
dials ; hourglasses are very ancient likewise ; before the 
discovery of watches they were in general use. The intro- 
duction of clocks into Europe was a real benefit, when 



100 EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 



1 



once known, and they were soon placed in towers and 
steeples. The first clock introduced or rather made, was 
in France, in the year 1370 ; Charles the Fifth caused it 
to be constructed by Henry de Wick ; it was erected in the 
tower of his palace, which is to this day called "The tow- 
er of the Clock." 

Giisfav, Is it not the tower situated at the extremity of 
the " Palace of Justice" and the "Quai de I'Horloge?" 

Mr, O, Precisely so. In Italy and in France clocks 
were in use in the thirteenth century, but they were rare, 
and consequently very high priced. The German art- 
ists went on perfecting their useful works, adding fresh won- 
ders to their mechanism : they represented the course 
of the stars and the calendar festivals, and they chimed tunes, 
(fee. Three of their clock makers completed that master- 
piece in the cathedral of Strasburg, upon the plan of the 
celebrated mathematician Dasypodius, between the years 
1571 and 1574. This fine clock indicated the movements 
of the starry host, the planets in the zodiac ; seven my- 
thological statues appeared successively in the different 
days of the week ; at the end of every hour an angel 
raised his sceptre as if to give the signal for striking, \y bile 
another turned an hourglass ; then a lion began to roar, 
and a cock to crow, flapping his wings at the same time. 
Four figures, representing the four ages of man, struck 
upon four bells, indicating the quarters of the hour; and 
after them appeared the figure of death to strike the 
funeral knell to the hour gone by, never to return. 

Caroline, Oh, papa, what a beautiful idea! 

Mr, O, Very much so, my child ; it was an allegory de- 
signed as a warning picture^ of the fleeting hours of man. 
This ingenious piece of work has, however, been long de- 
stroyed. The clock in the cathedral church at Lyons, 



II 



EIGHTH EVENING. 101 

made by Lippius, a German likewise, is not less complete 
than the former; it is shut up in a square tower surmount- 
ed by a dome, at the top of which a cock flaps his wings, 
and crows ; while a Swiss arrives to strike the hour and 
another to turn the hourglass ; the chimes at the same time 
play the hymn of St. John, and a little figure beats time: 
there are other figures which represent the mystery of the 
Annunciation. This clock has been frequently repaired. At 
Nuremberg, Venice, and Augsburg other curious clocks have 
been constructed. That which struck most upon the ima- 
gination and fancy of the people was the movement of the 
figures ; ignorant that a single lever or a wheel could pro- 
duce what appeared so wonderful. As the science, how- 
ever, advanced, artists became anxious to make them more 
correct as to time. 

At length they w^ere made portable, but it was not till 
the spiral spring was discovered that watches were in- 
vented. Heele has the reputation of its invention. The 
improvements made by the Swiss, the French, and the 
English in this curious piece of mechanism are prodigious. 
But the most useful of all its improvements is the chrono- 
meter, which is a sure guide to mariners when they 
wish to find the longitude at sea, by the comparison of 
the height of the sun and the hour it was at the place they 
last left. 

Edw. We were taught its application in our geographi- 
cal lessons. For instance, when a pilot finds that it is mid- 
day where he is, and that it is two o'clock at Brest where 
he regulated his chronometer, he concludes that there is 
the difference of two hours between them ; and, as the dis- 
tance of an hour upon the globe is equal to fifteen degrees 
of longitude, he is sure that the place he then occupies is 

9 * 



102 EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 

thirty degrees of longitude, or seven hundred and fifty 
leagues from Brest. 

Mr, O. I see, my son, that you thoroughly understand 
the use of the chronometer; and this knowledge shows 
you of what infinite advantage to astronomy, geography, 
and navigation this single mechanic art of watch-making 
has produced. Numberless other machines have arisen 
from this discovery, among which is one called '' the musi- 
cal chronometer." By lengthening or shortening the pendu- 
lum, this instrument beats tim.e with an exactitude which 
is matchless. 

But we must return to the Germsns, to whom we are 
indebted for another branch of industry of the greatest 
importance ; I mean that of printing. In order to value 
this discovery you have only to look at the men of former . 
times and those of the present day. Ages passed away II 
without the knowledge of writing; remarkable events were 
transmitted by word of mouth from one generation to an- 
other. Memory is one of the faculties of the mind which 
may be wonderfully strengthened by exercise. It has been 
presumed that the Poems of Homer were thus transmitted 
to posterity. The Scotch mountaineers are famous for 
transmitting their national songs in this way from father • 
to son. 

Some helps were at length given to this power of the 
mind; hieroglyphics were invented; the Egyptians for 
many years made use of this imperfect writing. Material 
objects were represented by their own images, and ima- 
ginary ones, or abstract ideas, were expressed by symbols. 
Thus, a serpent with a tail in his mouth was the symbol 
of eternity; a fox represented cunning, and a circle the 
sun's course in the heavens. The ancient monuments of 
Egypt, the obelisks, the mummies, the papyrus are covered 



EIGHTH EVENING. 103 

with these hieroglyphics ; which, imperfectly expressing 
the ideas of those who invented them, have become perfect 
enigmas to posterity. 

This symbolical writing is still used by several nations 
who are unacquainted with any other mode. The natives 
of the Molucca islands, for instance, express their thoughts 
by fruits and flowers: the South Sea islanders, and several 
Asiatic tribes, employ flowers and branches of trees for the 
same purpose. 

Caroline, But how can they recollect things by this 
method? 

Mr. O, Every branch, every flower, represents some 
idea, some name ; and by the arrangement of these things 
they communicate their ideas with great clearness. When 
one of our ships, on her departure from New Zealand, 
brought away a young native of that country, he took on 
board with him a quantity of boughs, which formed his 
journal of the voyage: for whenever the vessel passed an 
island he inquired its name, on which he laid one of his 
boughs in a particular way, and afterwards had only to 
look at them when he wanted to recollect the names of 
any of those islands. The savages of America make use 
of sticks of different sizes. When they send a deputy to 
another tribe, he carries with him a number of sticks. On 
his arrival he has nothing to do but to look at them to put 
himself in mind of all his commissions. He frequently 
speaks for whole hours, and his harangue is expressed only 
by his sticks. On his return he employs the same method 
to communicate to his countrymen the result of his mis- 
sion. There are other American nations, who transact all 
their negotiations by means of a pipe, which is denomi- 
nated calumet, and is adorned in various ways, accordingly 
as they are desirous of peace, war, or alliance with their 



104 EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 

neighbours. The inhabitants of Peru, before the invasion 
of their country by the Spaniards, had, instead of writings, 
signs consisting of all sorts of knots in thread of various 
colours, by means of which they expressed all their ideas. 
When the Spaniards instructed them in the Christian reli- 
gion, they also made use of stones of every shape, which 
they arranged in different ways, to enable them to remem- 
ber the prayers which they were taught. 

Caroline. It must be confessed that men are very inge- 
nious in every country. 

Mr. O, Your observation is just, Caroline ; all nations 
have adopted some plan to assist in communicating their 
thoughts to others, or of retaining those which they have 
received. 

The figures which are engraven upon tlie ancient monu- 
ments of Denmark, Sweden, and Norway, and which are 
called Runic, appear to be an invention resembling that 
of the Chinese. Their meaning is unknown : all these 
ways of communicating thoughts to the absent are imper- 
fect. Writing by letters is the only accurate way we have 
of conveying our feelings to each other when absent, and 
this plan has therefore been adopted by all civilized na- 
tions. The Greeks and Romans had letters, the Indians, 
Persians, Arabians, and Moguls have for centuries been 
possessed of this wonderful art. The ancients wrote upon 
parchment, upon the papyrus, upon wax, (fee. The Indians 
write upon palm-tree leaves, nay, paper has been long 
known in Asia, particularly in China. The w^ant of this 
article in Europe rendered books exceedingly rare and 
dear ; for parchment was difficult to be got at all times, 
and hence arose that destructive principle of effacin^g an- 
cient writings in order again to make use of the same skins. 
In Italy, many fragments of this kind have been found, 



EIGHTH EVENING. 105 

partly effaced, the remains of which make us the more 
regret what is lost ; since the writing which has replaced 
them does but ill supply the classic lore of ancient Eome. 

As the taste for literature increased, books became in- 
valuable; a book well written was a kind of treasure, 
which was bequeathed to descendants or public communi- 
ties, as \ye would now bequeath our landed property. The 
monks enriched their convents and the courts of their 
princes with manuscripts truly precious, from the care and 
accuracy with which they were executed. Writing was 
then a trial of patience as well as skill. The initial letters 
were either in gold or colours. Sometimes books were 
illuminated by pretty miniatures ; and the covers were not 
tmfrequently of carved ivory. 

In Flanders there was an establishment of monks, called 
*' Brothers of common life^'' who gained their livelihood 
by copying books.- The Great Chronicles of Saint 
Denys, which contained the History of France, were so 
much venerated that they were preserved in the treasury 
of that abbey, and were shown to strangers as one of the 
most precious treasures it contained. In times of great 
trouble, these chronicles were consulted as precious de- 
posits of wisdom. 

But this mode of writing books was tedious ; wooden 
blocks were, therefore, invented, upon which a page was 
cut, and the impression taken off. This idea arose, per- 
haps, from seal impressions, and the figures upon playing 
cards, which were long known before printing, and which 
now, unfortunately, form a favourite pastime all over Eu- 
rope ; I may almost say all over the world. 

Cards appear to have been an invention of the Orientals, 
always in search of sedentary amusements. It is probable 
they were introduced from the East by the commerce of 



106 EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 

Lombardy and Venice with those parts. They were 
known in Germany so early as the fourteenth century, 
probably imported thither by the Imperial troops who had 
served in Italy. The Germans appear, not only to have 
entered into the spirit of this amusement, but to have made 
it, finally, subservient to commerce. They furnished 
most countries with them, always considering the particu- 
lar taste of each people in their designs ; for in the south,, « 
they represented upon their cards, and still do the samejll 
cups or chalices, swords, the coin denier, and batons; in 
the north, they preferred pictures of little bells, acorns, oak 
leaves, and hearts ; in France they chose spades, diamonds, 
hearts, and clubs. It is pre-tended, that these four images,! 
originally, represented the four castes, or classes of so4 
ciety; namely, priests, warriors, merchants or citizens, and! 
peasants. 

In Spain, several kings forbade their use, under severe 
penalties ; but the love of play was so general that the laws 
could not check it. A traveller of the sixteenth century 
says, that he frequently could neither get bread nor wine, 
nor any other provisions ; but that cards were offered him 
everywhere, even in the smallest villages. 

Gustav, France of course followed this example. 

Mr, O. Cards were introduced into France at the be- 
ginning of the fourteenth century ; but they were equally 
forbidden by the laws ; and although in private families 
they were very generally in use, the court thought it aaj 
amusement but ill according with the value of time. The; 
were, however, sanctioned in the reign of Charles the 
Sixth, as an amusement for that unhappy monarch during 
his dreadful malady. Many authors relate, that a man 
called Gringonneur, undertook for twenty-nine sous, ta. 
paint cards in gold and colours for the amusement of thel 









3 

i 



EIGHTH EVENING. 107 

king. From this time cards were publicly allowed, and 
became a popular amusement. Piquet and other games 
were soon invented. 

Caroline. But what great amusement is there in card- 
playing? I should have thought that more varied amuse- 
ments should long ere this have supplanted cards. 

Mr, 0, It was precisely because cards require neither 
knowledge, skill, nor reflection, that they suited the dif- 
ferent tastes of society in those times, when the multitude 
was totally ignorant, and the higher classes of society were 
proficients in nought but the arts of war. I am, however, 
of your opinion ; we have- nowadays so many amuse- 
ments, that cards ought to have been long ago exploded. 
Their toleration, however, is to be attributed to the inert- 
ness of the human mind in many instances.. People pos- 
sessing no energy of character, are content to learn card- 
playing, and when they have attained thus much o^ knoiV' 
ledge they are satisfied with their proficiency in wisdom. 
So long as they can find persons whose knowledge extends 
no further, they are content to play on. 

The Latin Grammar of Donat was the first book which 
may be said to owe its printing to card-playing, or rather 
card-stamping. In the Royal Library at Paris, some of the 
wooden blocks are still preserved. But these blocks served 
only for one work; and, by way of economy, single let- 
ters were cut, which might be moved at pleasure : but this 
method was tedious and expensive ; the cutting of so ma- 
ny letters in wood, which were soon worn out, was found 
to be little more advantageous than writing: invention then 
|Was set to work, and letters were cast in metal. From 
this moment printing became a solid good, which was by 
degrees brought to its present state of perfection. 

Three industrious Germans, named Guttenburg, Faust, 



108 EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 

and Schoeifer, made many progressive improvements in it. 
Guttenburg, in 1450, established the first printing press, 
with the assistance of his companion Faust. Shortly after- 
wards they were joined by Schoeifer, a man whose intelli- 
gence greatly contributed to the improvement of this new 
art. The first works which issued from this press are now 
very scarce, and are of course considered invaluable by their 
owners. Holland claims the invention of printing for Lau- 
rence Coster of Harlaem ; others attribute it to Mental o 
Strasburg ; but as we are not acquainted with any printec 
works previous to the time of Guttenburg and his com- 
panions, we must allow them the honour of inventing thf 
typographic art. 

This invention was no sooner known in France than i1 
was proposed to introduce it into that country. In 1469, 
the prior of the Sorbonne at Paris, Jean de la Pierre, seni 
for three printers from Mentz, to set up a press even in the 
Sorbonne itself. The works which issued from this press, 
and those which came from Germany, so injured the trade 
of the copyists that they denounced printing to the par- 
liament as a magic art, and the wise magistrates were cre- 
dulous enough to order the confiscation of the books im^ 
mediately. But Louis the Eleventh, revoked the decree^ 
of the parliament, and ordered the books to be restored to 
their owners. Faust had arrived in Paris some years be« j 
fore to dispose of books, and unfortunately died of the 
plague in that city : SchoeiTer came afterwards, and was 
received with distinguished marks of favour : Guttenburd 
had received an appointment in the house of the Elector 
of Mentz. The Emperor of Germany permitted tha 
printers to set up presses throughout his dominions, am 
gave them the privilege of wearing golden fringe upon 
their robes. Such was the respect which the inventors 



EIGHTH EVENING. 109 

and their immediate successors received from the gratitude 
of mankind. 

Thanks to the art of printing, the thoughts of genius 
have now free power to charm. We can read and me- 
ditate upon Cicero, Demosthenes, Virgil and Homer, Plato 
and Xenophon ; we can, at a small expense, furnish our 
libraries with the choicest works of the ancients and mo- 
derns, and thus form an acquaintance with great men of all 
ages. Formerly, libraries containing a hundred volumes 
were considered large. 

But it is not the quantity of books which establishes 
the utility of printing. On the contrary, this precious art 
is often perverted to the worst of purposes. Many per- 
sons think that reading many volumes constitutes wisdom ; 
but those wlio skim lightly over many books, can know 
but little of their contents. A man who reads thus resem- 
bles him who, by seeing much corripany, is a stranger to 
the individuals who compose his society ; he knows them 
by sight, but of their characters and dispositions he is total- 
ly ignorant. As for bad books, they are as pernicious in 
their effects as bad company: with so many useful and 
agreeable books as there are for our perusal, it would be 
unpardonable to choose those of a different character. 
Since the invention of printing, instruction is become ge- 
neral, good books have multiplied, and many persons have 
spent large sums in the laudable purpose of dispersing them 
to their fellow creatures. 

An invention made in France, during the revolution, has 
greatly facilitated this desirable end. Till this period, the 
letters were separate and placed in forms, and after having 
inked the types, a sheet of damp paper was placed upon 
the forms, the whole together passing under a press, and 
this, indeed, is the usual way of printing. But stereo- 

VOL. II. 10 



110 EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 

typing, the process to which I alluded just now, is dif- 
ferently performed ; instead of casting the characters sepa- 
rate, the stereotype page is cast solid; to make this, the 
movable types are arranged at first in the usual way, and 
a page being thus set up, a mould made of plaster of Paris 
is taken from them, the soft plaster sinks into the hollow 
of the letters, and thus it presents the whole page in relief. 
This mould is then baked in an oven until it is thorough- 
ly dry ; when prepared in this way one or more pages can 
be cast from it ; these are called stereotype plates or pages. 
Gustav, What advantage has this mode of printing over 
the original one ? 

Mr. O, I'he following. When a book is printed in the 
usual way, as many copies are printed as the author or 
publisher hopes to sell : the form is then distributed and 
the letters are again employed for other purposes. If the 
book goes into a second edition, the whole composition 
must necessarily be reset, which greatly increases the ex- 
pense of publication. In the stereotype, on the contrary, 
the types remain immovable, and you have only to pass 
the pages through the press to have another edition. 

The English nation have profited by printing to convey 
and extend the knowledge of the Christian religion to the 
most distant parts, where their missionaries have translated 
the scriptures into the language of the country they in- 
habit, they are then forwarded to England and printed. 
The United States have followed this praiseworthy ex- 
ample. 

The spirit of application, natural to the Germans, has 
turned the discovery of printing to good account. A 
number of books were printed and libraries were esta- 
blished for the use of schools. In no other country are so 
many books printed as in Germany. The city of Leipsic 
contains almost as many printing presses and libraries as 



EIGHTH EVENING. Ill 

the whole of Russia. Two great book fairs are held an- 
nually in this city, where a great number of books are 
bought and sold. 

But Germany has lately invented another method of 
printing, called lithography, or the art of drawing upon 
stone, and of taking off thousands of impressions of these 
drawings. This is a precious discovery, by means of 
which writings or drawings may be multiplied to an infi- 
nite degree. 

The taste for music, which may be said to have sprung 
originally from Italy is highly cultivated by the Germans. 
The names of Gluck, Haydn, and Mozart are familiar to 
all of you. In countries where the Catholic religion exists 
in all its splendour, this art is much prized. In some 
Cantons music is taught in the villages. The German mu- 
sicians are spread in every country. 

The taste of this people for music has rendered them 
expert in producing instruments which add to its bewitch- 
ing effects. Vienna, Prague, Auxburg, and Nuremburg 
contain many manufactories for musical instruments. Tne 
invention of piano-fortes, or harpsichords, is due to this 
people; and it is they who have made the organ, so 
wonderful and so powerful an instrument. The organ, 
the majestic and imposing tones of which are so well cal- 
culated for church music, and which can produce sounds 
thrilling as the loudest thunder, or sweet as the softest 
lute, was first invented by the Greeks of the Lower Em- 
pire. The Emperor Constantino Copronymus sent one 
to King Pepin, who placed it in the church at Compeigne; 
and the Emperor Michael gave another to Charlemagne. 
These were looked upon as wonders in France. It is 
said, that the delight and surprise were so great, which 
the organ produced, that many persons fainted away upon 
hearing its first sounds. Others would not be persuaded 



112 EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 

but that there was some one concealed within, who pro- 
duced the thundering noise and the gentle sounds. 

But this organ was a feeble instrument compared to that 
of modern times ; it occupied so little compass that it was 
as easily transported from one place to another as are our 
piano-fortes. It, in fact, differed but little from an instru- 
ment which the Italians called Ninfale, which the player 
attached to his body, while he played upon it with one 
hand, and with the other blew a kind of bellows, which 
was attached to it, in order to fill the pipes with air. 

But when the industrious Germans had enlarged and 
perfected the organ, all other instruments were obliged to 
yield the palm to an instrument which produced the effect 
of a whole orchestra. It, in fact, consists of a variety of 
wind instruments, produced by a number of pipes of 
tin, of lead, or of wood ; which, receiving air, the player 
makes speak at pleasure, either by foot pedals or by the 
hand. The aperture through which the air passes into 
some of these pipes resemble that of a bassoon, or other 
instruments, and thus the great variety of sounds is pro- 
duced. The organ has been introduced into most Chris- 
tian churches ; that of Harlaem is justly celebrated ; but 
France, Germany, and England possess some exceedingly 
fine ones. 

You have often heard street organs : some of these are 
exceedingly well made. 

But the great masterpiece of mechanism is the union of 
clock-work with the organ. The German mechanics have 
made several of these machines, in which all kinds of in- 
struments have been imitated, and put in motion by an 
automaton figure, which strikes the keys, as you or I 
would, apparently ; and one is perfectly astonished to 
hear a simple machine execute some of the most difficult 
pieces of Mozart, &:c. and producing the effect of a whole 



EIGHTH EVENING. 113 

orchestra. Human ingenuity can now, I think, go no 
further. 

Before I dismiss you for the evening, continued Mr. 
Oakley, I have a drawing to show you which I think will 
interest you. It represents a splendid Asiatic bird. — Do 
you know what it is, Gustavus ? 

Gustav, Oh, yes. It is the bird of Paradise.* I have 
seen a drawing of one before. 

Mr. O, This I selected from a collection of drawings in 
the portfolio of a naturalist. He had delineated several 
varieties of this bird ; but this variety pleased my fancy 
most, and I obtained it. 

Gustav. How beautiful it is. What a splendid orna- 
ment the plumage would make for a royal crown. 

Mr. O. Our English ladies have already availed them- 
selves of its beauty, and I am told that the tail of the Bird 
of Paradise is becoming quite a fashionable plume. 

Gustav. Is the bird valuable or pleasing from any other 
circumstance than its beautiful plumage? 

Mr. O. No ! It has an unmusical voice, and its legs are 
particularly unsightly ; so much so, that the natives of the 
countries where they were taken used to cut them off, in 
former times, before they sold them to the European ad- 
venturers, pretending that they had no legs ; and this fable 
was vulgarly received, for some time, as a fact, in natural 
history. 

Gustav. I suppose such a statement would hardly gain 
credit now. 

Mr. O. No ; natural history has, of late, kept pace with 
other sciences in improvement, and an important error of 
this kind, has, now, only to be publicly announced in order 
to be contradicted by hundreds of competent authorities. 

* See cut on page 96. 
10*^ 



( 114 ) 



NINTH EVENING. 




Mr. O, The German nation daily gives proof of its skill 
in the mechanic arts, particularly in those which demand 
an extraordinary degree of patience. 

The cabinets of curiosity, in the principal cities of Ger- 
many, are tilled with objects of art, admirable for the pa- 
tience which their execution must have demanded. At 
Vienna there is a machine which copies writing, and also 
an automaton chess player, which plays the second part. 
Several sovereigns have played with this singular machine. 
At Munich there is a harpsichord, which notes down the 
music as it is composed, upon \he instrument. The cabi- 
net at this place contains also many other curiosities of 
this kind ; there is a small chapel in the castle filled with 
them. In the cabinet at Dresden, there is the most curious 
collection of clocks ; and in the castle of Wilhemshoche, 
near Cassel, a German artist has constructed the most sin- 



NINTH EVENING. 115 

gular library ; all the volumes are made of different woods 
indigenous to the country ; the back of each volume is 
composed of the bark of the same tree, and has a label, 
upon which is written its name in several languages : the 
sides of the book are highly polished. Upon opening this 
curious volume, you find the fruit, the flower, the seed, and 
the leaves of the same tree, as well as the mosses and in- 
sects which are peculiar to it. 

Ediv, We could make a library of this kind when we 
are in the country. 

Mr. O, It would no doubt be a very agreeable occupa- 
tion ; but, I fear, as we are not skilled in the labours it 
would require, we should find it would occupy too much 
time ; yet we may make the attempt next summer, with the 
assistance of a cabinet-maker. It will, at least, be easier 
to make this library than to imitate the collection of the 
Father Blank, in the castle of Wurtzburg. This ingeni- 
ous monk, observing, in Switzerland, the great variety of 
tints in the moss tribe, conceived the idea of making 
pictures with them. The success of his first essays en- 
couraged him to employ other substances, which nature 
has delighted to vary with colours ; such as the feathers of 
birds, the wings of butterflies, the leaves of trees, brilliant 
and sober clad minerals, &c. By skilfully disposing of 
these materials, he represented, in a very agreeable man- 
ner, landscapes, animals, and other objects. There are 
more than a hundred of these pictures in existence. 
Amongst others, is an eruption of Mount Vesuvius ; and 
this is the way in which he produced it ; with the wings 
of a particular kind of grasshopper he represented the fire, 
and with the down from butterfly's wings he made the 
volumes of smoke, from mica he produced lava, and pow- 
der from rose-wood and brazil-wood gave the reflection of 
the fire upon the adjacent mountains. 



116 EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 

The skill of the Germans in mechanic arts is also shown 
in objects of an inferior nature ; such as toys, tools, &c. 
These are dispersed throughout Europe ; and Nuremberg 
appears to be the grand mart for them. Some of these 
works are remarkable as the productions of simple pea- 
sants. The works in wood come from Saltzburg, the 
Tyrol, &c. They are celebrated for their solidity of 
workmanship, and their cheapness. It would appear 
almost incredible that an article which passes through 
five or six hands, and which requires the application of 
several great machines to complete them, should be bought 
for a few pence, if we did not know that the German 
workmen live very soberly, and are contented with small 
profits. And hence it is, that although other countries may 
make these articles as well, yet they are mostly procured 
from Nuremberg, Augsburg, and other cities of Germany. 
Their coffee-mills, small looking-glasses, toys, strings 
for pianos, and so forth, may be found in every pedlar's 
pack. These cities care not how trifling the article 
may be in itself; so long as it is asked for, it is an object 
of commerce, which they carefully cultivate. Marbles, 
which form one of the amusements for children of all coun- 
tries, engage the attention of merchants : a mill established 
near a city for their composition, furnished millions in 
the course of a year. One merchant has been known 
to export several hundred weight of those little instruments 
which children call rattles, and which form the delight 
of the wandering people of Asia. It is by flattering the 
taste of the people of all climes, that the merchant succeeds 
in his speculations. 

At the village of Steinseifen, in Silesia, the inhabitants 
employ themselves in cutting out figures of men and ani- 
mals in wood, and small weaving machinery. One of 



NINTH EVENING. 117 

these artisans cut out in a piece of wood, five feet long, 
the Mountains of Giants, which, as you know, are situated 
in this part of the country. Although he had no mathe- 
matical instruments to assist him in computing the height 
of these mountains, yet by his own observation, and the 
correctness of his sight, he contrived to represent, with tole- 
rable accuracy, the relative height and position of divers 
objects ; such as woods, rocks, meadows, villages, ponds, 
isolated houses, mills, streams, &c. ; for all these are re- 
presented in his model, which is now in the cabinet of 
Berlin. 

Some parts of Germany resemble one great workshop. 
Lusatia, Silesia, and part of Bohemia are filled with 
weavers and woollen drapers. Silesia alone exports annu- 
ally cloth to the value of twenty thousand francs, besides 
woollen stuffs, &c. 

Every year the city of Frankfort upon the Oder imports 
from Livonia and Courtland, thousands of casks of flax- 
seed, which is much better than that of Frankfort. This 
seed is cultivated throughout Silesia and Bohemia; and 
after the flax is gathered, all the country people begin to 
spin. There are even spinning schools in these parts; 
and there are people whose business it is to buy up the 
thread when spun. After having sorted it according to its 
quality, these collecting peasants sell it to the merchants, 
and these again dispose of it at fairs established principally 
for its sale. Thither the weavers repair to get a supply of 
thread, and when they have woven it into cloth they sell 
it, unbleached, to other merchants, established in the cities. 
But in order that the weavers should furnish perfect cloths 
only, there are inspectors appointed to examine it. The 
cloth merchants get their linens bleached among the moun- 
tains, where the inhabitants excel in this operation, which 



118 



EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 



is both long and laborious. The linen is oftentimes 
washed, spread out in the meadows, then passed through 
cylindrical machines, and finally dried in outhouses: 
Cambrics require a pecuUar process, which is kept rather 
secret. 

The quality of these cloths is various. In some places 
they make only coarse cloths ; in others you find superior 
specimens. The manufacture of table-linen is confined to 
one place. It is a pleasing sight for a traveller to observe 
the inhabitants upon the banks of the Oder, all occupied in 
making cloth, from its source even to its mouth. In 
Moravia the same spirit prevails ; the workmen and pea- 
santry, when their daily labour is completed, employ them- 
selves in spinning. 

In the country of Berg, upon the Rhine, all sorts of 
manufactories are carried on. At Elberfeld, they make 
large quantities of printed calicoes, and those handkerchiefs 
called India handkerchiefs ; and in the disposal of this par- 
ticular article, the merchants study the taste of the people, 
as to colour, to whom they are to be sent. To Denmark 
they send those which are green and black ; Spain and Por- 
tugal receive black ones; Sweden black and yellow; Po- 
land blue and black. The little town of Barmen divides 
with Elberfeld the traffic in thread, silk and cotton, tapes, 
cords and laces which are sent to all parts of the world. 
Ronsdorf manufactures large quantities of silk ferret ; 
Italy supplying it with the raw material, and receiving it 
again in the manufactured article. Lennep receives from 
Saxony and Spain fine wools, which the inhabitants export 
in fine kerseymires, equal to those of England. Another 
city, Romascheid, in the neighbourhood of iron mines, is 
celebrated for its iron manufactures ; every workman con- 
fines himself to the manufacture of one article. One 



NINTH EVENING. 119 

; makes anvils and ploughshares ; another scythes and saws, 
and so on. At Solingen, all sorts of cutting instruments 
: are made; from sabres and swords, down to those common 
[ knives, which may be bought for a few pence, and which 
make the delight of the American negroes, and for which 
3 they have been known to part with ail that was dear 
[ to them. Styria is famous for scythes : and the French, 
: even to this day, prefer the Styriari scythes to those of 
; their own or any other country. 

[ Prussia has received from nature a gift peculiar to itself, 
[ I mean amber, which the sea throws up on the coast of 
that kingdom, and which is also found under ground. The 
origin of this mineral has not yet been ascertained; the 
ancients valued it as much as gold. The PhcBnicians traf- 
I ficked largely in this article, but they carefully concealed 
: the country from whence they got it. In the countries 
which join Prussia, it is found in such small quantities 
that one would almost suppose the Phoenicians got their 
supply from Prussia itself. Amber is, however, no longer 
in such high estimation, though it is still wrought into 
ornaments, and used as a perfume. Dantzic has a con- 
siderable traffic in this article. The turners of this city 
form a kind of corporation, and keep a regular number of 
fishermen, who are obliged to bring them the product of 
their labours ; the amber is then divided between the dif- 
ferent turners. 

The best time for this fishery is after a violent tempest ; 
if the wind then changes, the amber is left upon the 
coast ; but if this does not happen, the fishermen must 
boldly venture into the sea, holding long poles, with bags 
fastened to them, with which they sweep, as it were, the 
sands. Unfortunately, the months of the great collection 
are November and December ; and these poor fishermen, 



120 EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 

clad in leathern jackets, are thus compelled to brave an al- 
most insupportable cold, besides the danger of being swal- 
lowed up by the waves ; they generally keep together in 
groups, that they may assist each other ; besides which they 
are very dexterous and skilful in supporting themselves 
upon their long poles, when the waves approach them; by 
this means they can resist their fury; and by yielding 
steadily to their pressure, they are sometimes safely carried 
to the beach. The fishing in boats is much easier. The 
discovery of a large piece of amber repays these poor crea- 
tures for all their labour. They have found a single piece 
worth from six to eight hundred pounds ; but, generally 
speaking, it is found in small pieces. In the cabinets of 
natural history in this country, pieces of amber are found, 
which contain small animals, drops of water, or vegetables. 
Let us remark en passant, that it is to an astronomer of 
Prussia that we are indebted for the planetary system 
which is generally adopted in these tunes. He it was who 
first discovered that the sun does not turn round the earth 
but that the earth and the other planets revolve in cer- 
tain times and spaces round that glorious orb, which thus 
forms the centre of this assemblage of planets and other 
celestial bodies ; and this is called the Copernican system. 
This beautiful discovery was seized by the ardent mind of 
Galileo;* and, struck with the evidence of this system, 
he strove to substitute it in the place of those false and 
absurd ideas previously entertained respecting the ar- 
rangement of the earth and the celestial bodies. But so 
profound was the ignorance w^hich still prevailed, that 
Galileo's efforts proved at first unsuccessful. People in- 
capable of soaring to such a height as Copernicus, Galileo, 

* See head of Galileo on page 114. 



NINTH EVENING. 121 

and other men of science, imagined that their doctrine 
tended to contradict the truths of the Holy Scriptures, 
and was absolutely hostile to the tenets of religion. 
Galileo was accused of impiety ; he was summoned before 
the tribunal of the inquisition at Rome, and confined some 
time in prison. After his liberation, he still continued to 
profess the sublime truths which genius had discovered, and 
which, so far from destroying religious sentiments, con- 
tribute to enlarge them, and to convey a more accurate 
and impressive idea of the omnipotence and bounty of 
the Creator. He taught, in fact, that the limits of our 
sight are not the boundaries of the universe. Besides the 
multitude of stars which to us appear luminous points, 
and yet are as many suns resembling ours, there ex- 
ist numberless others, which, too remote from us in the 
vast region of space, escape our feeble sight. Every por- 
tion of the immense extent of the universe is filled ; in every 
part revolve celestial bodies, peopled with inhabitants endu- 
ed with thought and sensation. There is not a spot but 
what contains living creatures and substances adapted to the 
maintenance of life; and in this incredible diversity of 
being of every kind, we admire the most exquisite order, 
from the most capacious body to the animalcule that is 
scarcely perceptible to our senses. Immutable and ever- 
• lasting laws govern the motions of the heavens, the suns, 
- and the worlds. The wise man is lost in the idea of eter- 
' nity ; and cannot find words to express the felicity that 
^ awaits him in the next life, when, disengaged from this mor- 
' tal body, his spirit shall soar above all these systems, and 
behold, for the first time, the eternal light which gives life 
■ and motion to everything that exists. 

Such was the sublime doctrine of Galileo, who deserved 
rewards for propagating it among mankind. On the con- 

VOL. II. 11 



122 EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 

trary, this great philosopher was thrown a second time 
into prison, and treated as the vilest of criminals. His 
confinement was long and perilous, and received no miti- 
gation, notwithstanding the powerful interference of the 
family of Medicis, by whom he was patronized. We 
cannot help deploring the weakness of the human mind, 
when we reflect, that precisely the most glorious truths 
have, in every age, found the greatest difliculty in gaining 
belief among men ; whilst errors have invariably spread 
with extreme rapidity. Instead of rising to the heights of 
Galileo's genius, his ignorant and superstitious conffempo- 
raries required him to descend to their groveling standard ; 
and, to avoid a cruel death, this great astronomer was 
obliged to sign a recantation of the opinions which he 
had professed. He was at length allowed his liberty, on 
condition that he should never go out of the duchy of 
Florence. From that time Galileo lived unmolested at his 
country-house. He had the misfortune to lose his sight; 
but this circumstance never ruffled the composure and 
tranquillity of his soul ; and he enjoyed, in the company! 
of Viviani, his faithful disciple, all the felicity which is felt 
by the virtuous, when surveying with satisfaction a life of 
honourable exertion and devoid of reproach. : 

But to return to the industry of the Germans. You 
have heard this evening, that they turn their woods to a 
good account in the various articles into which they form 
them. In their natural state, these woods ofl*er a great ad- 
vantage to the inhabitants of the banks of the rivers which 
fall into the Rhine. The felling of forests and the construc- 
tion of floats occupy many hands upon the banks of the 
Moselle, Neckar, Maine, Murg, and the Lain. These floats 
are destined principally for Holland. At Manheim and at 
Mentz they form them into large bodies, which are col- 
lected at Andernach : there they are united, and are then 
termed ^ fleet, and this embarkation does indeed resemble 



i 



NINTH EVENING. 123 

a fleet in some respects, from the great preparation it 
requires. 

Imagine to yourself a vast collection of logs, masts, and 
trunks of trees, which are fastened to other trees beneath 
them, lying across ; these again traversed by others to 
the depth of eight feet beneath the water, the top being 
covered over with planks, forming an even surface. This 
enormous mass is from seven to nine hundred feet long, 
and seventy broad. It consists of five hundred thousand 
square feet of wood. On each side of the fleet there 
are rafts fastened, and these are called knees ^ it is also 
accompanied by fifteen boats, carrying cables and anchors, 
of which there are generally a hundred on board. Other 
boats precede it, to announce its approach, or to execute 
the commissions of the equipage, or to sound the river. 

Six or eight hundred men embark upon this fleet as 
pilots, rowers, servants, &;c. The master pilot conducts 
it, and the steward looks to the domestic concerns which 
relate to it; for, as you may suppose, a great quantity of 
provisions must be embarked for the support of so many 
people ; indeed, it is usual to take on board forty or fifty 
thousand loaves of bread, from one hundred and fifty to 
two hundred quintals of fresh meat, and even much live 
cattle ; eight or ten quintals of salted meat, twelve quintals 
of cheese, as much butter, many vegetables dried, and 
salt; some hundreds of tuns of beer, and several pipes of 
wine. Butchers, bakers, and coopers have the charge of 
these different provisions. About a dozen little cabins, 
constructed upon the float, serve as a dwelling-place for 
the equipage. A pretty little house is erected for the mas- 
ter, also a great magazine is erected for the provisions, a 
dining-room and a kitchen furnished with enormous cal- 
drons and stoves to cook the provisions for the passengers 
and work people. 



124 EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 

When all is ready for the departure of the equipage, 
every one on board takes off his hat; and with head unco- 
vered, entreats a blessing from heaven upon his voyage: 
the master pilot then mounts an elevated seat, gives the 
signal with his hat, the rowers repeat it by waving a stick 
over their heads ; the anchors are then raised, the cables are 
cut, and the enormous mass floats amidst the cries of the 
workmen and numerous spectators, v/hich its departure 
always attracts upon each side of the Rhine. 

But all is not pleasure for this float. The Rhine, the 
borders of which are so beautiful and so picturesque, whose 
banks are adorned with numerous villages and verdant hills, 
present, nevertheless, many dangers to the navigator. Its 
whirlpools, its sands, and its falls are more fatal to a float 
than to a vessel. The master pilot must be very skilful 
to avoid all the perils of the voyage, and notwithstanding ^ 
his utmost skill accidents frequently happen. 

From fifteen to twenty days are employed in descending' 
from Andernach to Dortrecht, the extent of the voyage. 
When the float is arrived in this city of Holland, a part of 
the equipage is paid off and sent back; those w^orkmen 
who remain assist the Dutch in breaking up the mass of 
timber; a raft is then constructed of fir planks, upon which 
is placed a tackle, tools, and other articles which were ne- » 
cessary for the performance of the voyage, and which are 
thus conveyed back to Germany. Part of the trees and 
beams are then sold to the Dutch, and the rest to other 
nations. Before the departure of this float, it is sometimes 
valued at twenty thousand eight hundred and thirty-three 
pounds ; but the labour it requires to convey it to Dor- 
trecht increases its value to twenty-nine thousand one 
hundred and sixty-six pounds. Oftentimes a cubic foot of 
wood which cost tenpence only originally, is sold in Hol- 
land for eight shillings and fourpence. 



J 



NINTH EVENING. 125 

Gustav. There are not many of these great floats surely 
in one year. 

Mi\ O, Very generally from nine to twelve and fifteen 
have passed up the Rhine during the same year. They 
bring a great deal of money into Germany, but they also 
strip their forests of their finest trees, and will in the course 
of time produce a scarcity of this valuable article ; at least 
such an event is naturally to be expected. 

I cannot quit Germany without mentioning a. religious 
institution which was first founded in this country by 
Count Zinzerdorf. Like many Catholic convents, it pre- 
sents the pleasing picture of a community animated by the 
love of piety, labour, and industry. I am nov/ speaking of 
the Herrnhutters, or, as they are better known to us, the 
Moravians. They have settlements in Holland, Germany, 
Denmark, England, and America. In my travels, I visited 
some of their estabUshments, and, with all due deference 
be it spoken, I fancied I observed that the spirit of com- 
merce was, in many instances, their first spring of action, 
and that even their desire to propagate Christianity among 
the savage tribes, oftentimes arises from a secret desire to 
extend and benefit their own commerce ; but in general I 
found them worthy of the highest moral praise. They 
lead an austere life, never visit balls, plays, and spec- 
tacles ; they never read romances, nor play at cards nor 
dice : their dress is simple, and is a costume peculiar to 
themselves, regulated according to their ages, and their 
rank in classes or choirs. There is the boys' class, the 
girls' class, those of the men, the women, the widows, and 
the widowers. Three times a day there is divine ser- 
vice performed ; the remainder of their time is wholly de- 
voted to labour. 

Herrnhut is a small village of upwards of a hundred 
11 * 



126 EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 

houses all neatly built, and occupied by members of the 
fraternity. They are small, but very clean and cheerful. 
In these reside the married people. The bachelors live 
together in a very large building adjoining to the chapel; 
not far from which is another capacious edifice for the 
accommodation of strangers. The single women inhabit a 
separate house, exactly resembling that of the brethren ; 
for such is their general appellation. The women are 
all called sisters. There are likewise distinct houses for 
widowers and widows. Such are the different parts of 
which the village of Herrnhut is composed. The chapel 
is a large quadrangular hall ; and the service, or the meet- 
ing as they call it, was just going to begin when I enterec 
it. All the inhabitants of the place, simply but neatl) 
dressed, were seated on long benches, the women on one 
side and the men on the other. At one end was a gallery 
with an organ, and on another side stood a small tabic 
covered with a green cloth. Behind this table sat thi 
minister, who was just going to address the congregation, 
They first joined in singing a hymn in a solemn and aft 
fecting manner, accompanied by the organ. It is extremely 
impressive, it must be acknowledged, to see and hear a 
congregation singing with one accord the praises of the 
Supreme Being, accompanied by the harmonious sounds oi 
the organ and other musical instruments. In many placei^ 
of worship the organ serves only to display the talents ol 
the organist, and to divert the attention of the congrega- 
tion instead of edifying them. In passing through many 
towns and even villages of this country and Germany, 
have observed that, on Sundays, the young people make a 
practice of accompanying the singing of the congregations 
in a grave and solemn manner, with such instruments as 
they can play upon. I was much pleased with this ous- 



NINTH EVENING. 127 

torn, which appears to me well calculated to heighten the 
sentiments of piety and the elevation of soul inspired by the 
Christian worship. On this occasion I recollect with 
pleasure the divine worship performed by the Prussian 
regiments, when in camp, at which I was present several 
times. The men, in their best clothes and without arms, 
form a very large circle, in the midst of which are the 
chaplain, the officers, and the regimental band. The music 
begins to play a psalm tune, and the words are sung by the 
whole regiment. It w^ould be impossible for me to de- 
scribe the impression that is always made upon me by these 
sounds of peace issuing from the lips of so many soldiers, 
more accustomed to raise the shout of battle ; and in my 
opinion, this ceremony, followed by an energetic discourse 
from the chaplain, cannot fail to produce a salutary effect 
on the uncultivated minds of the men. 

The service of the Herrnhutters likewise concluded with 
a discourse delivered by the minister; who, when he had 
finished, informed the congregation that in the afternoon 
of the next day there would be a funeral, which I resolved 
to attend, that I might see something more of the customs 
of this community : besides, I had already heard much of 
the beauty of the situation of the burial-ground of Herrn- 
hut. Accordingly, I repaired at the appointed time to the 
chapel. The ceremony began with a hymn sung by the 
whole assembly ; the minister then pronounced a discourse, 
which was followed by a piece of music executed by a 
number of the sisters in the orchestra. Some sung, while 
others accompanied them on different instruments. I should 
have observed, that the coffin containing the remains of the 
deceased was placed on a bier in the middle of the chapel, 
in the space which separated the men from the women. 
After the service in the chapel was over, six brethren took 



128 EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 

the bier upon their shoulders to convey it to the grave ; 
four others went next playing on French horns ; then fol- 
lowed all the congregation, men and women, two by two. 
On reaching the burial-ground, the minister placed himself 
exactly opposite to the grave, the men ranging themselves 
on his left hand and the women on his right. The coffin 
was let down into the grave during the singing of a verse ; 
the burial service was then read ; and when it was finish- 
ed, the congregation returned in the same order as they had 
come. 

Gustav, Did you not say just now, papa, that the bu- 
rial-ground of Herrnhut was celebrated in the neighbour- 
hood? 

Mr, O, Yes, my dear, and I availed myself of the 
opportunity, when the ceremony was over, to examine iU 
An alley leads to it .down a gentle descent. I imagined 11 
that I was entering a large garden, and at first remarked ' ' 
nothing but regular walks planted with small trees, whose 
branches, interwoven with each other, produced a deli- 
cious shade. A quick hedge surrounded the ground on 
every side. The alley in the middle is much broader than 
any of the others ; the men are interred on the left, and 
the women on the right. At the head of each grave is 
placed an oblong stone, on which are engraven merely the 
name of the person and the date of his death. All the 
graves are simple and uniform; here are no distinctions, 
no pompous inscriptions, no ornaments. This burial- 
ground, as you see, excites none of those disagreeable sen- 
sations which you have felt on visiting those of some of 
our churches. 

Gustav, I know what you allude to, papa : we remarked 
in some of those places, that the poor are separated from 
the rich; which displeased us, because we conceived that 



NINTH EVENING. 129 

at death all inequality of rank and fortune, and all distinc- 
tions, founded on that difference, ought to cease. 

Mr. 0, You were right ; and my sentiments on the sub- 
ject were the same as yours. A burial-ground is the gene- 
ral receptacle for the remains of all ; and since all of us, 
both rich and poor, must come to this at last, why should 
we make a distinction that might awaken emotions of 
vanity in the bosoms of the opulent, by whom such a place 
may be visited from curiosity or any other motive? A.re 
not the poor insulated and forlorn enough in their life- 
time, that their remains must be exiled as it were to a dis- 
tant part of the cemetery after death ? It is to be hoped 
that the practice which has called forth these observations 
will not last for ever ; but that Christian charity, the only 
genuine philosophy, will strive to correct this abuse. The 
Herrnhutters set us in this particular a worthy example. 
The striking simplicity which prevails among them, as you 
will presently hear, in the intercourse of life, reigns even 
in the tomb ; and the inspection of their gravestones con- 
veys a higher idea of the virtues of the deceased than all 
the magnificent monuments and pompous inscriptions that 
are met with in our churches and church-yards. 

At the same time I have no fault to find with that grief 
which produces in families a desire to manifest their at- 
tachment to a deceased relative by pious monuments, and 
is always afraid that it has not expressed, in terms suffici- 
ently strong, either their regret or the virtues of the per- 
son whose loss they deplore ; and in this point of view it 
would be wrong absolutely to condemn these monuments 
and these inscriptions. Neither was I pleased to find in a 
town of Holland, called Zwoll, a burial-place which I 
should not have distinguished from a public street, but for 
my guide, who pointed out to my notice that the pavement 



130 EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 

we were walking upon covered regular rows of graves, in 
which the dead are interred beside each other ; the pave- 
ment is then laid down again and a number engraved on 
each stone corresponding with that of the church register. 
I admire the love of order and neatness for which the 
Dutch are remarkable ; but this way of extending it even 
to the depositories of the dead, is in my opinion carrying 
the matter rather too far. What consolatory idea is ex- 
cited in the soul of a father, a son, a husband, or a brother, 
by the appearance of a bald pavement, when lamenting 
the loss of a child, a parent, a wife, or a sister? Trees, 
flowers, verdure, in a burial-ground, cherish a kind of soft 
melancholy in the soul ; and the sight of so many different 
tombs tells us that numbers of our fellow creatures are 
partakers of the same afflictions with ourselves, and that 
a feeling for the common lot of mankind ought to mitigate 
our individual distress. But what salutary effect can a 
paved place, like the church-yard of Zwoll, produce on the 
survivors, who, to live well, ought nevertheless to fami- 
liarize themselves with the idea of death, and to bear in 
mind that their pleasures will not be more permanent than 
their griefs? 

From this digression, which I think not an unseasonable 
one, I return to the subject which occasioned it, the descrip- 
tion of the village of Herrnhut. 

The Moravian brethren, persuaded that death brings us 
to the true place of our destination, never wear mourning 
for their deceased friends ; but, upon Easter day, they re- 
pair to the field of repose^ with music, to celebrate the 
memory of the brothers and sisters, who, during the last 
twelve months **have rejoined," to use their own expres- 
sion, " the celestial community." 

I began with an account of the places of devotion, and 



NINTH EVENING, 131 

shall now proceed to the buildings appropriated to the 
ordinary purposes of life. 

The unmarried men all live, as I have told you, in an 
extensive building called the Brethren's House. " The 
stranger is struck with the regularity and cleanliness which 
pervade every part of it; the meeting-room, the refectory, 
the dormitory, the whole, in a word, is in the neatest or- 
der. I found all the brethren at work at their respective 
trades. There are professions in which they excel, for 
instance, cabinet-making ; accordingly their productions of 
this kind are in great request, and are sent to distant 
countries. It is a general observation, that whatever is 
made at this place is executed with a finish and a neatness 
not commonly possessed by mechanical works, and result- 
ing only from incessant labour and patient perseverance. 
Morning and evening, all the brethren assemble to prayers 
in a meeting-room, where I observed a very pretty little 
organ. The dormitory is extremely spacious, and contains 
near two hundred beds, all numbered; the bed-clothes 
are of their own manufacture ; this prodigious hall is 
lighted at night by a few lamps. Two of the brethren 
keep watch here by turns, and awaken the others at the 
usual hour in the morning. If any one of them wishes to 
rise earlier, he sets down the evening before the hour at 
which he desires to be called, by the side of his number, 
on a black board placed near the door. Those whose 
watch it happens to be then come in the morning and 
awaken him precisely at the time he wishes : the dress of 
the Herrnhutters is extremely simple, but, like everything 
else about them, remarkably neat. 

The building inhabited by the unmarried women is de- 
nominated the Sisters' House, and in its internal arrange- 
ment differs very little from that of the brethren. Like 



132 EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 

the latter it contains a common meeting-hall, dining-room, 
and dormitory. Cleanliness is here carried to a higher 
pitch, if possible, than in the Brethren's House. Here too 
is perceived the same activity and industry. All the sis- 
ters were at work when I visited this establishment : some 
were engaged in the business of the kitchen, while others 
were spinning, sewing, embroidering, &;c. Their dress is 
as simple as that of the brethren. No fashions, no super- 
fluous ornaments are to be seen among them, and those 
of all ages wear caps. The different classes are distin- 
guished by the colour of the ribands fastened round these 
caps; young girls, for instance, wear dark red ribands; 
single women pink ; married women blue ; and widows 
white. 

Twelve or fifteen brethren govern the whole community : 
their function lasts ten or twelve years, at the end of whicli|| 
time they elect others, and to this election deputies repair * 
from all those countries where there are communities of 
the Moravians, for Herrnhut, which is considered the 
capital of their dominion. ,^ 

Their establishment called Bethlehem, which is about a'i 
day's journey from Philadelphia, in the United States o| 
America, resembles a large workshop or manufactory, 
where great quantities of cloths and stufJs are woven, and 
hats, &;c. made in great perfection. These people arej 
divided into classes like those of Herrnhut. In general 
the five or six hundred thousand Moravians, who are found 
in Europe and America, are distinguished by their rigid 
morals, and their love of labour. They are a peaceable 
people, who deprive themselves of many of the pleasures ' 
of life, lest they should abuse them. 



( 133 ) 



TENTH EVENING. 




Mr, O, This evening, the Swiss will form the princi- 
pal subject of our discussion. We discover amongst this 
people much of that simplicity of manners which has long 
been banished from the rest of Europe. The Swiss inha- 
bit one of the most picturesque parts of the world : it is 
intersected by chains of prodigious rocks and mountains, 
between which may be seen fertile valleys, smiling lakes, 
and rapid torrents, which, when increased by the melting 
of the snow, overflow their banks, and assume the form of 
large and impetuous rivers, flowing the country round. 
As you ascend the mountains vegetation diminishes ; pines 
and firs succeed to the ash and chestnut ; these in their 
turn yield to brushwood and aromatic plants, which form , 
excellent pasturage; above these extend vast regions of 
snow crowned with glaciers, heaped one upon the other in 
sublime magnificence. In mountainous countries the vil- 
lages are insulated, and the communication between them 

VOL. 11. 12 



134 EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 

difficult. This circumstance compels the inhabitants to 
depend principally upon themselves for the necessaries 
of life. 

One is astonished at the prodigious efforts which the 
Swiss have made to render a country habitable and agree- 
able that was formerly infested by wild beasts, which 
found a secure asylum in its immense forests and in the 
caves of the mountains. Human industry has, however, 
conquered these natural difficulties and obstacles which 
appeared insurmountable. The face of the country now 
presents, in many parts, beautiful gardens and meadows; 
picturesque houses, surrounded by kitchen gardens and of' 
chards, vineyards, pasture land, and fields of corn. Some- 
times different houses are connected by avenues of fruit 
trees, from which hang clustering vines. Frequently, 
when the traveller, surrounded by rocks, supposes he is 
immured in the most profound solitude, he is surprised by 
the sight of an humble cottage, a mill seemingly suspendec 
over a cataract, or a chapel surmounted by a light spire 
glittering in the sunbeams : perhaps his reveries may b6 
disturbed by the distant sound of a sheep-bell, as th^ 
flocks wander in the upper regions of these stupendous 
mountains. The houses are mostly built of wood, they ar< 
often very extensive. The fir-tree is a great blessing tc 
the Swiss. When a peasant wishQs to construct a dwelling 
house, he cuts down some of this kind of tree, and with 
the assistance of two or three of his companions soon con- 
structs a habitation, covering it with square pieces of wood^ 
if slates are not easily procured in his neighbourhood, 
The rooms in Switzerland are low, and furnished in the 
middle with a chafing-dish, the windows are very smalL 
and double when exposed to the winds. These windows 
are numerous so that the rooms are light, and as more than 
one is seldom opened they are also warm. 



TENTH EVENING. 135 

In winter as in summer the Swiss are always occupied. 
In those parts where agriculture flourishes, and where the 
climate relaxes in its rigour, manufactures flourish. The 

- orchards bear abundance of fruit, which is either dried or 
made into cider. The little cherries distilled, furnish a 

Uiquor well known as Kirash. In the plains, flax and 
hemp are cultivated, and cloth is manufactured in large 
quantities. But the Swiss are not merely content with 
providing for their own wants : they import raw silk from 

■ France and Italy, and manufacture it nearly as well as 
their neighbours, and then export it. Formerly they made 
inuch woollen cloth; but of late years^ they have ^applied 
themselves to the manufacture of cotton, and in this too 
they rival the English. It is quite amusing to see, in the 
houses of the peasantry, young girls smartly dressed em- 
broidering, making lace, and weaving crapes or gauzes ; 
the outside of the house resembles the habitation of a pea- 
sant, within it assumes the appearance of a workshop. 

Another branch of Swiss industry is the manufacture of 
watches, particularly in the environs of Geneva and Neuf- 
chatel : whole villages are sometimes inhabited by watch- 
makers, and even the ordinary peasants, have oftentimes a 
small apparatus for making watches. In my wanderings 
in that beautiful country I frequently have seen cottages 
placed between rocks and cataracts, and have pitied men 
who wxre thus consigned to such dreary solitudes; but 
upon entering these dwellings I have been surprised to dis- 
cover the father and son occupied in watch-making, while 
the mother and daughters were busy in embroidering or 
making lace ; thus, where I expected to find the abodes of 
poverty, I have discovered comfort and the cultivation of 
the luxuries of life. Thousands of watches are exported 
annually to all parts of the world. 



136 EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 

Emigration is another great resource of the Swiss. In 
all countries they are to be found ; and whether as work- 
men or as soldiers their services are in equal repute and 
request. Yet notwithstanding their emigrations, the Swiss 
are passionately fond of their country, and the sound of 
their favourite air " The Eanz des Vaches," when heard in 
a distant clime, has been known to operate so powerfully 
upon them, that they have returned immediately to that 
spot called by us, ho7ne. They have often fought despe- 
rately in defence of their liberty, and have evinced in their 
wars for independence the heroic spirit of the ancients. 

In the valleys they pursue a pastoral life; the sale of 
cattle, and the making of cheese is the principal occupation 
of the mountaineers. Some of their cheeses are exceed- 
ingly valued, such as the Gruyere and those of EmmenthalJl 
The former are made upon a chain of hills which runs 
through Friburg. Each cow furnishes nearly two quintals 
of cheese during the season in which they occupy these 
mountains. The higher the pasture lands lie, the more 
succulent is the grass and the more delicious the milk.,. 
Those who make the cheeses are called ^^Ipler or .y^/jome5j| j 
They frequently possess neither herds nor flocks, but hire 
the cows from the peasants of the valleys, and make ar-i 
rangements with the owners of the pasture lands of the 
mountains. There they make butter and cheese ; and a1 
the end of the fine season they descend to the plains, re- 
turn the cows to their owners, and sell their butter ancj 
cheese. 

Caroline, I should suppose that this cheese were mad 
upon a very simple principle. 

Mr. O, The absolute making of it is simple enough . 
but it requires much skill and attention, nevertheless, to 
succeed in the operation. But of this you shall be con 
vinced, for I will detail to you the whole process. 



^^ 



TENTH EVENING. 137 

The milk is poured into a large kettle, and when it is 
warm, a little curdled milk is thrown into it; it is then 
stirred with a kind of trowel, and afterwards left upon the 
fire for about a quarter of an hour, that it may thicken. 
The cheese maker then comes with a lath, and cuts the 
mass, after which, with tv/o trowels, he stirs it from the 
bottom upwards. The milk, by this action, forms bubbles, 
which the cheese in forming breaks. After an hour's 
labour of this kind, the liquid is put on the fire, and is 
again stirred with the lath ; it is then violently agitated, to 
force the water from the milk, which soon assumes a sub- 
stantial form by this process : when this is effected, it is 
thrown into a mould and pressed down with stones. An 
inferior cheese is made from the remainder of the liquid; 
this is turned into a cloth i tied up, and hung to a nail. 
Other kinds of cheese are made in Switzerland, by mixing 
aromatic herbs with the curd, and some are salted highly. 
The goats too, which are numerous, furnish excellent 
cheese. In the canton of Glaris, each parish possesses 
flocks, consisting of from one to two hundred goats, which 
a master goatherd conducts to the mountains, there to 
remain from spring to autumn. The number of sheep 
is still more considerable. Horses and pigs are likewise 
fed upon these mountains ; but, as the difficulty of provi- 
ding for these animals, in the winter, is sometimes great, 
their owners frequently dispose of them at the end of the 
fine season, and purchase lean ones in the spring, and 
fatten them on the mountains. Those who possess but a 
few of these animals endeavour to procure forage enough 
in the summer to support them in the winter. In the 
canton of Glaris, where, as I have told you, there are 
numbers of goats, the poor shepherds venture their lives 
to support these animals. In the crevices of the rocks, 

12* 






138 EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 

there grows a most delicious kind of grass, but the goat- 
cannot get at it, and these men attempt an exploit 
which terrifies even these bounding animals. In the 
parishes which have the right of gathering this grass, a 
signal is given by a bell upon certain days ; then the poor 
shepherds climb up the rocks, and with their scythes mow 
this grass ; in this perilous situation, at the edge of a pre- 
cipitous rock, some hundred feet high, they gaily pursue 
this dangerous occupation. We, in their place, should 
grow giddy, and think more of our own safety than gather- 
ing a little hay. Their boldness is sometimes amply re 
warded; they make storehouses in the clefts of the rocks, 
where they deposit their treasure, and at the approach of 
winter they remove it to their cottages. 

All these shepherds possess a robust constitution and a 
proud and independent character: they highly prize their 
liberty, and are passionately fond of their country. Their 
customs, festivals, and dress are the same as they werej 
some centuries ago. 

In general, if we wish to contemplate those pure man- 
ners and that simple life which reminds us of the patri- 
archal age, we must avoid great cities, and repair to the 
mountains of Switzerland. The men pass the greater part 
of their time' with their flocks, in the upper regions, where 
the air, calm and pure, softens their sensations, and allays 
the fire of passion. Besides, the constant occupation of 
the pastoral life, and the absence of every object which 
could excite the passions, inevitably preserves simplicity 
in its most extensive form ; but, at the same time, it must be 
confessed, that it also perpetuates the rudeness of their 
ancestors. Many of the Swiss lead a wandering life like 
the Nomades of Asia, and only visit their families occa- 
sionally. Such, particularly, is the custom in the valleys 



TENTH EVENING. 139 

on the frontiers of Lombardy : the heads of the family 
wander about with their flocks, while the rest of its mem- 
bers remain quietly at home to reap the harvest, and to 
pursue other domestic occupations. 

Before they set out for the mountains where their flocks 
are accustomed to pass the summer, the owners assemble 
and fix the portion which each is to pay of the expenses in- 
curred during their stay in the pastures of the Alps. One 
of them assumes the general superintendence, and is deno- 
minated by way of eminence il pastore. He is not ex- 
pected like the others, either to watch the cattle or to 
make cheese. Besides the owners, there are herdsmen 
who receive wages. Scrupulous punctuality in the per- 
formance of the duties of their station, frugality, and so- 
briety are qualities innate, as it were, in the shepherds of 
Lombardy ; but they are not so affable as the other Ital- 
ians, and their look announces a gloomy and even a savage 
disposition. They never amuse themselves with sing- 
ing, like the Swiss shepherds. — During their residence 
upon the Alps, they spend the whole day, and likewise 
half the night among their cattle. Their dress consists of 
a coat of red or white woollen cloth, waistcoat and 
breeches of the same, and gaiters. They wear neither 
neckcloth nor stockings, but in bad weather wrap them- 
selves up in a' white cloak. Their hair is cropped very 
close; in other respects they are very cleanly, and are 
never seen without a clean shirt. The food of these herds- 
men is simple as their dress, consisting the whole year 
round of porridge made of maize or millet boiled in water. 
For their breakfast and luncheon they have nothing but 
a bit of cheese, and they drink water or goat's milk. To 
the most common aliments, as bread and soup, these tem- 
perate people are almost entire strangers ; and though 



140 EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 

their cattle supply them with delicious milk, butter, and 
cheese, they use only the refuse themselves, reserving the 
best part for sale. By living in this frugal manner, and 
denying themselves every comfort, they save considerable 
sums, and frequently make large fortunes. They all sleep 
on boards supported by four legs. — Their bed is composed 
of hay and of their cloaks, the clothes of each serving him 
for a pillow. So accustomed are they to this hard life that 
old men of eighty annually perform this journey to the Alps. 
— You see, from the example of these Italian shepherds, 
that the absolute wants of man are very trifling, and may 
be supplied at a very insignificant expense. While we ex- 
haust our invention, our fortune, and our strength, to create 
new wants, these moderate people require no more than a 
dish of porridge or milk, and a bit of coarse cloth for their 
garments. 

When the weather is fine and dry, the herdsmen travel 
by night; but in bad weather, or cold regions, they pro- 
ceed only in the daytime, and wait till the morning dew is 
dried up. One shepherd goes at the head of each flock, 
which follows him with the greatest docility, and another 
brings up the rear. The cattle follow their conductors 
over rocks and glaciers. When tliey pass through a vil- 
lage, the animals crowd close to the shepherds, but in the 
open country they go in a more straggling manner. If 
they meet with good pasturage, the shepherds halt, walk 
round the flock, and, by uttering broken and guttural cries, 
they collect the animals that are at some distance from 
the rest. These perfectly understand this signal, as well 
as that for their departure, which is a very shrill whistle. 
If the pasture is of little extent, the shepherds proceed no 
further till it is completely cleared, a task of which the 
cattle are by no means backward to acquit themselves.. 



TENTH EVENING. 141 

Charles, These Lombard shepherds I suppose have 
dogs too? 

Mr. O, That is a matter of course : where there are 
flocks, there must be dogs also. Those belonging to these 
shepherds are large, and have very long hair ; they assist 
their masters with great zeal, and watch with the greatest 
attention the little flocks committed to their care; but being 
very poorly fed, they often want the strength necessary to 
prevent the wolves and bears from carrying off and de- 
stroying some of the sheep. It is only by shouting as loud 
as possible that the shepherds can put those ravenous ani- 
mals to flight. 

The race of sheep in Lombardy, and especially about 
Bergamo, whence come most of the flocks that visit the 
Alps, is larger than the common breed; they hold their 
heads very high; their muzzles are more arched than 
those of our sheep, and their ears lie closer to the head. 
Another distinction between these sheep and ours is, that 
they appear to be of a less lively disposition ; their lambs 
are never seen frisking about, and no other bleating is ever 
heard among them than that of the dams calling their young. 
On the approach of any ferocious animal, they crowd close 
together, instead of dispersing like other sheep. In like 
manner, when it snows, hails, or rains, they creep under 
stones or rocks, where they remain without stirring. 
Though frequently covered with snow, they are never 
sheltered from the weather, and are therefore stronger and 
less subject to distempers than the sheep of this country. 

It is in the month of December that the shepherds 
lead them back from the Alps into the plains of Italy, As 
the flocks are then in very good condition, from the excel- 
lence of the pasturage, and the salubrity of the climate in 
which they have passed the summer, the journey downward 



142 EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 

requires less time than the other. On their arrival in the 
lower region, the shepherds shear the sheep, and then con- 
duct them into the plains of Piedmont, Brescia, and the 
Lower Milanese, on the banks of the Tesino. — There tliey 
hire vast pastures, where they divide their flocks, as they 
are accustomed to do on the Alps ; at night they pen them, 
unless the cold be too severe, in which case they are col- 
lected in large sheds, which are guarded by dogs. It may 
be proper to observe, that these flocks scarcely ever return 
to their native country, and that their keep costs their 
owners a very trifling sum. 

Gustav. Is it for the wool alone that such large flocks 
are kept ? 

Mr, O, The Lombard shepherds are better managers 
than the Spanish, who are content with the wool: the 
former derive other advantages and profits from their flocks. 
In the first place, they dispose of tlie largest rams ; in the 
next, they sell the wool ; and, lastly, they make use of the 
milk and cheese with which the sheep supply them, and 
avail themselves of all necessary circumstances, as I shall 
presently show. 

Milking the ewes is one of the most toilsome occupa- 
tions of these shepherds. — Every day, at an hour fixed for 
this operation, the sheep are driven into a kind of enclosure 
with two wickets. At one of these the animals enter; and 
when once in, the dogs posted there will not sufler them 
to get out again ; on which they attempt to escape by the 
other wicket, but two shepherds seize them by the tail, 
and hold them till they are milked. When all the ewes 
have in this manner passed out again at the second wicket, 
the milk is mixed together, and strained through a cloth. 
The cream is skimmed off*, and with it are made excellent 
small round cheeses, from six to eight inches in diameter, 



TENTH EVENING. 143 

and weighing from two pounds to two and a half. The 
milk that is left is then skimmed a second time : the shep- 
herds keep the best of it for their own use, and give the 
remainder to their dogs. 

Though the produce in milk and cheese is considerable, 
as the latter is in high request, yet the shepherds neglect 
not other little sources of profit which present themselves. 
When, for instance, one of their rams perishes by acci- 
dent, they take care of the finest part of the skin to make 
purses of it; if it be a ewe that is killed, they break the 
animal's bones, and stretch it out on the roof of a shed, or 
upon long poles ; and when the flesh is perfectly dry, they 
carry it with them into Italy, where the poor people pur- 
chase this wretched food. 

For the conveyance of their cheeses these shepherds 
have very strong asses, which can. carry nearly as much as 
a horse, and which grow very fat and comely on the Alps ; 
so that on their return they sell them in Italy at a high 
price. The cheeses are packed in the form of long rolls, 
in small bags, and hung in other bags on each side of the 
ass. The load is covered with a blanket or sheep-skin; 
upon it is laid the pot in which the porridge or pollenta is 
made for dinner; the whole is tied with cords, and this is 
all the baggage of our shepherds. 

These people, as you see, though living in the midst of 
the most civilized nations, have nevertheless but little inter- 
course with society ; and perhaps they would even dispense 
with that little, were they not obliged now and then to 
resort to it in order to sell their commodities. Provided 
their flocks prosper, they are happy, and wholly indifferent 
to the political events which are almost incessantly passing 
around them; they are strangers to the torments of am- 
bition and the inquietude of riches ; they possess fortunes, 



144 EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 

it is true ; but they preserve them for their families, and are 
careful not to trifle away the fruits of their labour in frivo- 
lous pursuits, or the vain desire of displaying their wealth 
in show: their views are more solid, and consequently their 
condition is less subject to the variations of great fortunes 
in cities. 

The Tyrol resembles Switzerland in many respects ; it is 
mountainous, and inhabited, like the Alps, by a brave and 
loyal people, distinguished by their frugality. 

Thirty or forty thousand of the inhabitants of the Tyrol 
emigrate every year, and practise in foreign countries the 
trades they have learned in their native villages. They 
even travel into Russia and Turkey, for the sole purpose 
of selling canary-birds. Those who remain at home mostly 
pursue a pastoral life in summer ; and, during the winter, 
they employ themselves in manufacturing several little 
articles of wood, and others of the skin of the chamois. 

The Tyrolese of Vorarlberg execute more extensive 
works in wood ; they make boats, shops, and houses, all 
in separate pieces, but nicely fitting and numbered ; these 
are conveyed to the lake of Constance on sledges, and em- 
barked for Switzerland, where they are soon purchased 
and transported to various parts. 

Eliza, A house of this kind does not cost much, I pre- 
sume? 

Mr, O, Neither architect nor mason have bills to pre- 
sent; there is only the carpenter to be paid, and he is, 
perhaps, contented with the value of from seventy-five to 
eighty pounds sterling. But their labours are not con- 
fined to such coarse operations, they Avill execute the most 
surprising and minute articles. The shops of the Tyrol 
of Salzburg are sometimes cabinets of curiosities. I have 
seen, for instance, the organs of the human eye exactly 



I 



TENTH EVENING. 



145 



imitated in bone, which could be taken to pieces at plea- 
sure. The women are as industrious as the men ; they 
knit, they spin silk and cotton, they embroider, plait hats, 
and weave the prettiest baskets imaginable. Sometimes 
ten of these women will be assembled in the winter time, 
round one table, pursuing each her favourite occupation. 
In the neighbourhood of Bregentz, there are women who 
from one pound of cotton will spin, thradd enough to fill 
one hundred and fifty spindles, each spindle containing 
one thousand nine hundred and fifty English yards of 
thread. 

The children follow the example of their parents ; they 
begin very early to provide for themselves. In the spring, 
troops of boys assemble, each furnished with a basket 
containing provisions and a little flute ; these, under the 
conduct of an old shepherd, are conducted into Suabia, 
and placed under the care of peasants, in order to keep 
their flocks. At the end of the fine season, the same old 
shepherd guides them home, every boy bringing ten or 
twelve shillings with him as his salary or wages. 

This industrious custom of making the children provide 
for themselves is not confined to the Tyrol; I have seen, 
in Silesia, the little children, after school was over, em- 
ploy themselves in collecting straws to make hats; the 
least children picked up the straws, the bigger ones sorted 
them, or plaited them into long plaits, fifty yards long. A 
child could furnish, in his hours of recreation, two tresses 
of fifteen yards, during the week, some more or some less ; 
and according to the quality of their work they received 
for its value. 

One cannot but admire the taste of these mountaineers 
for the mechanic arts ; they construct upon the simplest 
principles mills to grind their corn, to press oil, to sharpen 

VOL. II. 13 



146 EVENINa ENTERTAINMENTS. 

their tools, or to water their meadows. A Germaa tra- 
veller relates, that, upon entering a cottage, he perceived a 
cradle rocking in which an infant was asleep ; there was 
no one within, and his curiosity was excited as to this 
movement, when he discovered a string attached to it; but 
still there was no one to pull this string; however, upon 
his following the thread which was to unravel the mystery, 
he found upon the ban^s of a stream in the neighbourhood, 
a wheel which, by turning, alternately tightened and loos- 
ened the string, and thus rocked the cradle. In the castle 
of Inspruck there is a perfect globe made by a shepherd of 
Tyrol. 

The Scotch mountaineers present to us very much the 
same manners, the same characters as those of Switzerland 
and the Tyrol. They are much attached to their country, 
and have preserved the manners and customs of their an- 
cestors. Brave warriors when called upon to defend their 
country ; and in times of peace they are equally ready and 
faithful in the discharge of their patriotic duties, or those 
of domestic society. They are poor, and many of them 
are obliged to emigrate to seek subsistence in foreign 
climes ; but, wherever they are, they always retain a pas- 
sionate love for their country. The sound of the bagpipes, 
which is their national instrument, has peculiar charms for 
them. In a combat, in which a company of Highlanders 
were giving way, their commander ordered the bagpipes to 
strike up a favourite tune; the effect was instantaneous, 
the troops rallied, and marched boldly up to the enemy. 
They preserve a faithful remembrance of the great deeds 
of their ancestors, and are fond of commemorating them 
either in pro^e or verse. They possess many traditional 
songs upon this subject, v/hich they never commit to 
writing. With these -good qualities they retain most of the 



TENTH EVENING. 147 

prejudices and superstitions of their progenitors, as well as 
their more noble qualifications. This, indeed, is very 
common among all mountaineers ; shut up in their moun- 
tains, and possessing no commerce with great cities, they 
profit but little by the advantages which are making daily 
progress in society. 

'' Now," said Gustavus to Captain Martin, who had 
been one of the circle for this evening, '* can you not tell 
us a lively story of your adventures, Captain? You must 
have a great many in store." 

. Captain Martin. Well, I will tell you one little story of 
an adventure of mine in India. 

Caroline, I suppose it will begin with " Once upon a 
time." 

Captain M, Yes, that is the regular opening for a story. 
"Once upon a time," then, I was travelling in the interior 
of India, when I fell in with an Oriental hunting party. 
The Rajah of the province was giving a grand hunt, in 
company with his court. The place, where I fellin with 
them was once an immense plain covered with high grass 
and clumps of trees. You can hardly imagine a more 
picturesque scene. Many of the party were mounted on 
elephants gaily caparisoned, their backs loaded with men 
and bristling with spears. Others of the party rode horses 
and camels, and an immense multitude were content to hunt 
on foot. Their game consisted of every animal of the 
country, from the gazelle to the royal tiger. It was highly 
animating to see them driving the animals before them, 
deers, antelopes, bears, leopards, all flying tumultuously 
from the glitter of their pursuer's arms, and the tremen- 
dous clang of their musketry and musical instruments, and 
unmusical shouts. 

I entered into the spirit of the occasion, and hiring an 



148 EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 

elephant and driver, joined the pursuit. I had enjoyed 
the sport but a few hours before I heard a low growl in 
the high grass near me ; and at the same instant my ele- 
phant raised his trunk, and gave the peculiar snort by 
which is generally understood to indicate the presence of a 
tiger. I instantly directed my attention to the quarter from 
whence the growl had proceeded, and saw the grass move ; 
and presently I could see a small part of the tiger's body. 
I instantly levelled my musk'et and fired. A movement of 
the elephant at the moment, prevented the ball from taking 
full effect. It grazed the tiger's back. He had been skulk- 
ing out of the way before, but on feeling the wound he 
turned and sprung upon the elephant's back, and the ani- 
mal set out upon a full gallop, raising his trunk, and snort- 
ing at the same time. 

Gustav, Well, youi- situation was a very interesting one 
at the moment. I suppose you could hardly arrange mat- 
ters with the tiger, so as to continue your ride amicably 
together. 

Captain M, Our situation was rather interesting. One 
feels more excited looking into a tiger's mouth within a 
few inches of him, at perfect liberty, riding double with 
him too, on an elephant's back, than when seeing the same 
animal in a cage in the London Menagerie. The driver 
ran his spear into the tiger's body the moment he mount- 
ed, but still he retained his hold and growled most uncivilly 
at me. I had no alternative but to pull a pistol from my 
belt, and shoot him in the mouth. He then relaxed his 
hold, and, falling upon the ground, was speedily despatched 
by other hunters of the party who came up to our assist- 
ance.* 

* See cut on page 133. 



( 149 ) 



ELEVENTH EVENING. 




*' Captain Martin," said Gustavus, as soon as the party 
were assembled for the evening, " you were speaking last 
evening of the tiger. Is there not a Brazilian tiger '?" 

Captain M, I believe that name has been given to the 
jaguar. He almost equals the tiger in size and ferocity, 
and rivals the leopard in the beauty and sleekness of his fur 
and the gracefulness and agility of his motions. He is 
lower in stature and clumsier and heavier than the leopard 
in all his proportions. His tail is much shorter, and is 
the principal thing that distinguishes him from the leopard, 
whom he very much resembles in his spots and general 
make. This animal commits destructive ravages in the 
swampy forests of South America ; it is there often hunted 
by the natives who attack him in various ways. One of 
the most common is to chase him with a large pack of 
dogs, who drive him into a tree or thick copse. In the 

13* 



150 EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 

tree he is destroyed by the musket or lance. But if he 
escapes to the bushes, it is a difficult matter to aim at him 
with precision. On such occasions an Indian sometimes 
attacks him single-handed. Armed with a lance or long 
knife, he envelopes his left arm in a sheep-skin, by means 
of which he evades the first furious onset of the animal, and 
gains time sufficient to plunge the weapon into his body 
before he can turn for a second attack. There is a sketch 
in my portfolio which will show you how the Indian ad- 
vances to the attack.* 

When the children had sufficiently admired the drawing, 
Mr. Oakley proceeded with his descriptions. 

We have already considered most of the people of the 
North, let us now direct our attention to those of the 
South. 

In warm climates, man having less to endure from the 
inclemencies of the air, light clothing, cottages con- 
structed of reeds and leaves suffice him; and the fruit 
which the soil naturally produces furnishes him with food 
principally ; thus nature spares him much labour and 
trouble. But on the other hand, dispensed from the har- 
dier pursuits of th^ north, the inhabitants of the milder 
regions of the south possess little industry and less appli- 
cation. Thus their principal commerce consists in the 
exportation of their natural productions, and the importa- 
tion of manufactured articles. Oftentimes we find the in- 
habitants of other countries importing from their more 
genial climes the raw materials, and aftfer they have manu- 
factured them, exporting them again to the same cHmate. 

Italy, Spain, and Portugal furnish ample proof of this. 
All these countries, rich in natural productions, are proud 

* See cut on pag'e 149. 



TENTH EVENING. 151 

to see their ports filled with foreign vessels, waiting for 
cargoes of unmanufactured materials, which their owners 
return manufactured. 

Italy abounds in fruits, silk, rice, wine, and oil. But 
their silk is exported in a raw state; and manufactured, 
principally, in France and Switzerland. The Italians do 
fabricate a small quantity of this article ; but, in general, 
they prefer that which is manufactured in foreign coun- 
tries.* 

The culture of rice has been the means of introducing a 
very lucrative article of commerce into Italy, I mean the 
manufacture of hats from the rice straw. These are made 
by the female peasants at their leisure, and are exceedingly 
profitable to them. It is chiefly in the north of Italy 
that this article is manufactured, where trade and com- 
merce, in fact, principally flourish. The southern parts 
are, indeed, noted for the indolence of their inhabitants, 
who place their happiness in the Dolce far fiienfe. In this 
part of Italy, therefore, there is, as you may suppose, 
more idleness and more poverty than elsewhere. Laziness 
always brings with it its own punishment. The great 
ports of Italy, such as Venice, Leghorn, and Genoa, form 
a striking contrast to those parts to which I have alluded. 
In the middle ages, commerce was so flourishing in these 
cities, that they ranked among the powers of Europe ; 
they kept fleets, and had ambassadors at foreign courts. 
But as no earthly power is solid or lasting, and less than 
any other that which is founded on ambition ; these states 
weakened each other by their intestine wars. The com- 
merce with the East, which had been hitherto confined to 



* The Genoese velvets are an exception to tliis observation, for 
they are generally considered the finest which are made. — 2\ans, 



152 



EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 



the Mediterranean, took another direction upon the* dis- 
covery of the Cape of Good Hope ; and, by degrees, those 
cities lost that rank which they had acquired. Yet they 
still retain a preeminence over other Italian cities ; for in 
time of peace, they serve as a depot for many European 
manufactures which are exported to America, and for those 
which, in returo, are brought from the New World. Be- 
sides which, they possess manufactures of their own ; such 
as liquors, silks, perfumes, brocades, and a variety of 
minor articles in glass and w^ax. Of these maritime places 
Venice merits our particular attention, for who can fail 
being interested in a state which, by its prodigious activity 
and industry, became almost an empire. Let us, my chil- 
dren, examine its situation upon the map. 

Caroline and Eliza, It appears to have been built in the 
middle of marshes, at the top of the Adriatic. 

Mr, O, These marshes are called lagunes. It was ne- 
cessary here, as in Holland, to erect dykes, in order to 
preserve these marshes from the inundations of the sea, 
and to render the soil habitable. But the Venetians have 
done more; they have built one of the finest cities in 
Europe, which, during a thousand years, has retained its 
place among the commercial cities of Europe. The situa- 
tion of Venice is exceedingly favourable for commerce ; 
by sea it communicates easily with the shores of Italy, 
Dalmatia, Greece, Turkey, and the isles of the.Archipelago 
and Mediterranean. The rivers which fall into the Adria- 
tic connect its commerce with Germany, Piedmont, and 
the Tyrol. The Venetes, who had the courage to establish 
themselves in these marshes, soon became sensible of the 
advantages of their situation ; and, as commerce was dis- 
dained by the Teutons, the Lombards, and the Franks, 
they undertook the profitable pursuit. 



ELEVENTH EVENING. 153 

One of their first and principal articles of trade was 
salt ; this they conveyed to the north of Italy by means of 
the Po, Brenta, &;c. This commerce became so immense 
that they even repaired to Africa for salt to sell it in 
Europe. The princes of Italy granted them several privi- 
leges, among which, the permission to have depots, and 
to hold markets for the sale of this commodity, upon the 
chief rivers, were not the least. Salt merchants were 
established, who each supplied a particular district or 
country with this valuable article. At length several states 
endeavoured to deprive them of this lucrative commerce; 
but as they could not supply it at so cheap a rate as the 
Satinari of Venice, they failed in their speculations. The 
Venetians, however, became insolent in prosperity; and 
not content with blocking up all the rivers, when an effort 
was made to deprive them of this monopoly, they even 
compelled the king of Hungary to close the mines of 
Croatia. 

But Venice, placed between two people of different ha- 
bits indeed, but both alike indolent and luxurious, became 
necessary to each in supplying them with the means of in- 
dulging their particular tastes. The Italians they supplied 
with the wealth of the Indies; silks, spices, pearls, dia- 
monds, &;c. To the Arabs and Greeks they carried wines, 
chains, iron, the woods of Italy, oils, silks, arms, and ships 
which they had made themselves. 

You know, that before the discovery of American spices, 
pears, curious woods, and precious stones came principally 
from Asia. The Phoenicians, in very early times, carried 
on this traffic by the Mediterranean. The Assyrians and 
Chaldeans at length succeeded in diverting the course of 
this commerce, and Bactria became the grand channel for 
this purpose. Egypt, in the sequel, turned the tide of 



154 EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 

commerce into the Eed Sea, which in its turn acquired 
wealth and importance from being the mart of Eastern 
traffic. 

The Usbeck Tartars, in their turn, restored to the con- 
tinent this grand object, and by means of the Oxus they 
conveyed the treasures of the east to foreign climes. The 
increasing splendour of Constantinople, however, restored 
it to a maritime conveyance ; and, as the Greeks were too 
indolent to enter into commercial speculations, the Geno- 
ese stepped forward, and for many years engrossed the 
Oriental trade ; but the rising power of Venice gave a check 
to their monopoly. In the year 1202, the crusaders hav- 
ing taken possession of Constantinople, Venice left the es- 
tablishment of a new dynasty to the French and the Flem- 
ings, contenting herself with establishing a podesta, or 
mayor, and a patriarch in one quarter of the city. 

From this period the splendour of Venice may be dated ; 
she possessed Dalmatia and some other provinces ; many 
of the Grecian Islands and colojiies in Candia. She dis- 
persed throughout Europe gold cloths, silk stuffs, cottons, 
carpets, pearls, diamonds, &c. To Egypt, Barbary, Ara- 
bia, and Syria she exported all sorts of arms : Venice 
abounded in goldsmiths, looking-glass makers, armourers, 
and organ manufacturers. The Doge of Venice was look- 
ed upon as a sovereign prince; and for centuries this little 
republic held an important place among the potentates of 
Europe. 

She has alwgiys preserved her industry, although politi- 
cal events have deprived hei- of her power : she may be 
said even now to struggle against those misfortunes which 
appear to have overwhelmed her, presenting the grand 
spectacle of a city flourishing for ages by the industry of 
its inhabitants. 



ELEVENTH EVENING. 1 55 

Florence exercised a gentler empire in Italy than Ve- 
nice ; she acquired greatness, not so much by arms and 
commerce as from the cultivation of the belles letters and 
the fine arts ; and she well deserved her epithet of the 
Athens of Italy. Great men of every kind have immor- 
talized this city by the productions of their genius. Ge- 
noa, Pisa, Leghorn signalized themselves formerly by their 
industry, and received their due meed of vi^ealth and fame. 
The amusements of these cities v^ere as noble as their en- 
terprises ; the taste of the Greeks for gymnastic exercises 
appears to have been transplanted to the soil of Italy. Ve- 
nice had grand exhibitions upon the water: Padua was 
famous for horse-races, held like the games of the ancients 
in a circus, ornamented with statues and pyramids ; Sienna 
was famous for contests in wrestling ; and Florence had a 
game peculiar to itself, which I will describe to you pre- 
sently: but I must first speak of the aquatic fete of the 
Venetians of modern times ; and few spectacles present a 
more lively and animating scene than this. Indeed it is 
impossible to do it justice in a description. The senses 
are bewildered by the shouts of applause raised by the 
multitude from time to time, the sound of musical instru- 
ments, the motion of the water agitated by the oars of the 
gondoliers, the appearance of so many gondolas, some of 
which belonging to people of high rank, glisten with gold 
and silver, and are adorned with the greatest magnificence 
and taste, produce all together an effect which must be 
witnessed to be duly appreciated. The gondoliers are all 
in uniform, and range themselves with their light boats 
behind a cord extended across the canal, to mark the spot 
from which they are to start. The moment the signal is 
given, the cord drops, and all the gondolas shoot off at 
once with the utmost velocity, amidst the acclamations of 



156 EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 

innumerable spectators. Not far from the end of the 
canal is set np a pole, round which the gondoliers are to 
turn on their way back to the other end; and this re- 
quires considerable dexterity. They then make the utmost 
exertions to reach the goal erected at some distance in .the 
form of a fortress or hill, and commonly decorated with 
great magnificence. On their arrival, the conquerors leap 
from their gondolas, and seize the little flags fixed up near 
the goal, and each marked with a number, according to 
which the prizes destined for those who come in first are 
distributed. They who arrive last have of course later 
numbers. The last of all has a flag, on which is a repre- 
sentation of a pig ; and, while the others march trium- 
phantly along with their flags, he is exposed to the hooting 
and derision of the populace. Each regatta usually con- 
sists of five matches, which last five or six hours. 

Gustav. "What rewards are given to the winners ? 

Mr, O, The prizes are seldom worth more than ten 
pounds : but honour is the principal motive of their emula- 
tion. The following anecdote proves that these people 
are capable of very exalted sentiments. At the regatta 
which I have just described, one of the gondoliers, when , 
near the goal, fell into the water, and consequently lost the 
prize. Two years afterwards, a similar regatta being given 
in honour of the king of Sweden, the same gondolier was 
one of the candidates. As he approached the goal, there 
were two gondolas before him ; in one of these was his 
brother, who unfortunately running against one of the orna- 
ments surrounding the goal, fell into the water, so that our 
gondolier won the second prize. *'Two years ago," said 
the generous fellow, "I experienced how mortifying it is 
to be disappointed of the prize, when so near the goal. I 
will not take advantage of the misfortune of another ; my 



ELEVENTH EVENING. 157 

brother, who fell into the water, was before me ; to him 
the second prize by right belongs ; and if it be refused him, 
he shall have mine." The sentiments of the worthy gon- 
dolier were universally applauded : and I am sure that you, 
my dears, will also give your sincere approbation to such 
generous behaviour. — So much, my dears, for the regattas 
of Venice, formerly given in the presence, and frequently 
in honour, of the foreign princes who visited that large and 
beautiful city. 

Every nation in Europe is acquainted with the games of 
tennis and foot-ball ; they form the delight of youth and 
the relaxation of age. Formerly every principal city had its 
court set apart for these amusements. Augustus and the 
odious Caligula partook of this amusement. But it was at 
Florence that this amusement was pursued with all the 
refinement and ardour which it was capable of inspiring. 
It assumed a national character; and, far from being a fri- 
volous amusement, it became a grand military exercise and 
spectacle. The Medici, the Grand Dukes of Tuscany, all 
the nobility of Florence and the Dukes of Mantua and Urbino- 
disdained not to become actors in the display, which was 
witnessed by all the beauty of the Athens of Italy. The 
fame which Florence had acquired in arts and letters gave 
a lustre to this amusement, and the stranger was compell- 
ed to acknowledge that the Florentines were not less great 
in their amusements, than in their literature, their monu- 
ments, and their commerce. 

The great square of the Holy Cross was the area appro- 
priated to the game of calcio, or foot-ball. I call it an 
area, because this game presented a real scene of contest, 
in which the flower of the Florentine nobility displayed 
their agility, strength, and even the finesse of war. A cor- 
poreal defect, a low birth, and a bad reputation were sufB- 

VOL. II. 14 



158 EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 

cient to exclude a candidate. The games were regulated 
by particular laws, and were appointed for particular 
seasons; from the sixth of January to the end of the car- 
nival the square of the Holy Cross was crowded by spec- 
tators ; but there were certain evenings, called livery even- 
ings^ which were brilliant beyond all description; for both 
spectators and actors appeared in full dress. 

The players upon these occasions were formed into two 
parties, distinguished by their dress, each displaying as 
much magnificence as their costume would allow; this con- 
sisted in a light waistcoat and cap, the cloak was thrown 
aside in order to give as much freedom as possible to the 
action of the performer. 

Upon these days the players repaired to the houses of 
the two chiefs, where their place was assigned them. The 
two armies, being thus marshaled (they sometimes amount- 
ed to fifty-four members of each party), directed their steps 
to the great square amidst the acclamations of the populace. 
First of all, the Innanizi, or foreguard, appeared, hand in 
hand, or linked together by silken bands : they were follow- 
ed by " Banner Bearers," accompanied by drums and 
trumpets: — then came the Sconciatori, or Seconds, and 
after these the Batori; and the procession was closed by 
the most important players, carrying balls the colour of their 
faction or party, succeeded by several youths, bearing sil- 
ver cups containing ceruse, to apply to the bruises of the 
candidates. 

In this order the cavalcade arrived at the square of the 
'' Holy Cross," where the balconies, the windows, and the 
amphitheatre were filled with spectators. Six judges, 
elected from veterans of the game, occupied a particular 
seat ; it was their office to settle any disputes which might 
arise between the players of the opposite factions. 



ELEVENTH EVENING. 159 

When the two little armies were arranged, the Pallai'o 
(or ball-holder), dressed in livery, combining the colours of 
the opposite parties, advanced between them, and threw 
into the air the important ball. At this signal the trumpets 
and drums struck up, and the players rushed forward to 
seize the ball. The area now assumed the appearance of 
a battle. The foreguard of each party endeavoured to seize 
the ground of their adversaries, and to break the ranks of 
the Batorij to get the ball beneath their feet, and to send 
it from one to the other to their own camp. The grace, 
skill, and strength which the contenders displayed, the 
stratagems to which they resorted, excited the most pro- 
found and lively interest in the spectators. Friendship and 
family ties augmented this feeling in the breasts of mothers, 
sisters, lovers ; and the flight of the ball suspended the 
breath or produced palpitations equal to those excited upon 
the most serious occurrences of life. 

Tumultuous cries announced victory or defeat ; scarcely 
was the ball sent beyond the camp of the adversaries, when 
the victorious faction raised its standard, and took posses- 
sion of their opponent's camp to the sound of music, while 
the vanquished with lowered colours, marched dejectedly 
to that of the victors. 

Sometimes in the warmth of the combat the parties be- 
came so excited as to call for the interference of the 
judges. 

At the marriage of Prince Ferdinand of Tuscany with 
Beatrice of Bavaria, the former was at the head of one of 
these factions, and the Prince Gaston of the other. The 
people were charmed at this condescension of their princes, 
and recalled to their recollection upon this occasion the 
time when Clement the Seventh, Leo the Twelfth, Urban 
the Eighth, the Grand Dukes Cosmo the First and Second, 



160 EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS, 

Vincent Prince of Mantua, and Lorenzo Duke of Urbino, 
had in their youth taken a share in these sports. 

Even when Florence was besieged the inhabitants par- 
took of these games, placing a trumpet upon the top of 
the tower of the Holy Cross, to show their enemies how 
little they cared for them. But gradually the splendour of 
these games has declined, and since the year 1739 they 
have never been performed. The comparison of this game 
of Calcio with the gymnastic games of the Greeks is not 
exaggerated. It appears to have been in imitation of the 
Grecian games, that John of Medici established the Calcio 
as well as the chariot racing, in which the nobility dis- 
played so much magnificence. It is on the Midsummer 
eve that this latter amusement still takes place : but it is 
but a mockery of the former display; for a few coachmen 
hired by the city, seated in uncouthly formed cars, drawn 
by wretched looking horses, and driven round the area, 
receive the prize, which no one thinks worth the disputing. 
But these, as well as many other games which displayed 
such a magnificence as partook of enchantment, are equally 
fallen from their original splendour. Florence, that opu- 
lent city, appears to have delighted to exhibit in solemn 
assemblies her riches, the genius of her artists, and the 
progress of her industry. Those times will never return, in 
which the nobility and the principal citizens of Florence, 
clad in silk, ornamented with gold and silver, pearls and 
precious stones, united in performing allegorical festivals, 
embellished by the greatest painters, sculptors, musicians, 
and architects. Masquerades, chivalrous games, and dra- 
matic representations formed their delight, and excited their 
ingenuity. 

The splendour of the Florentine commerce contributed 
much to the improvement of the arts. When the Turks 



ELEVENTH EVENING. 161 

captured Constantinople and overthrew the Greek empire, 
the Medici gave an asylum to the artists and merchants 
who fled their native country. 

Previous to this period Florence possessed a school of 
painters, and a manufacture of woollen cloths, for which 
they were indebted to some poor monks, called "Humble 
Brethren." 

Caroline. Papa, did not the government reward these 
monks for the great benefit they had conferred upon Flo- 
rence ? 

Mr» O, The state expressed its gratitude by exempting 
them from all taxes, and in giving them the superintend- 
ence of a community of nuns, who were also occupied in 
preparing wool. In another convent in Florence, these 
brothers employed themselves in painting or staining glass. 
This art during the middle ages was in great perfection, as 
may be ascertained by the fine windows which are still to 
be seen in different convents and cathedrals. During the 
prosperity of this great city, her inhabitants either invent- 
ed or recovered the knowledge of several arts which we 
highly prize. To them we are indebted for the use of 
spectacles, the lyre of Barbary, thermometers, and other 
useful articles. At this period also the city was adorned 
with many fine churches, vast palaces, and a great num- 
ber of charitable institutions. To the praise of the Italians 
be it spoken, no people under heaven take more care of 
their widows and orphans. 

All these buildings were ornamented with paintings and 
sculpture : it was the same in other great cities of Italy ; 
on every side were seen paintings, statues, bas reliefs, and 
superb edifices worthy of rivalling the works of antiquity. 
But this spirit still inhabits the bosoms of the descendants 
of ancient Rome. Among the painters of Italy, Raphael^ 

14* 



162 EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 

the Caracci, the Coreggios, the Veronese, the Julio Ro- 
mano are conspicuous. 

The Italians excel too in mosaic work, which they pro- 
duce in the following manner : glass is cut into small tiles 
and dyed of every tint and shade ; a stone the size of the 
picture is then chosen, which is imbued with mastic, and 
the different shades of glass are then by the commonest 
workmen placed upon this gum, which retains them. Al- 
though this work is coarse, it has a good effect at a dis- 
tance, and it has the property of resisting the impression 
of the weather. 

Many persons live by the sale of antiquities found in 
the earth ; such as vases, medals, busts, statues, (fee. One 
art, in which the Romans surpass their ancestors is music; 
Italy is the mother of modern music. The taste of the 
popes, which has rendered this delightful art subservient to 
the purposes of religion, has contributed to its perfection. 
When the Grecian empire fell from its prosperity, the mu- 
sicians of that devoted country found a refuge in Italy ; 
and from thence they wandered to different parts of Eu- 
rope. The Italians introduced music into their churches, 
their spectacles, and their private life: under their genial 
clime music scon became necessary. The character of 
the Italians, naturally gay and lively, seem better to under- 
stand the art of mixing amusements with the everyday 
occurrences of life than any other people. 

The lively imagination of this people inclines them to 
pleasure : by nature they are poets ; no country has pro- 
duced so much poetry: we may say of Italy, that poetry 
and music walk its streets : it is true that its language is 
adapted to rhyme and metre. The art of improvissator- 
ing, which is very rare in colder climates, is common un- 
der the fine sky of Naples, Tuscany, &c. Frequently one 



ELEVENTH EVENING. 163 

may hear the ambulatory poets recite in the public places 
songs, odes, and sonnets, accompanying their recitations 
with a mandoline. But the improvissatori of a superior 
cast will compose whole poems, or even tragedies, upon 
any historical fact which shall be proposed to them. Stran- 
gers are perfectly confounded at their flow of language, at 
the fire of their composition, and the animation with which 
they continue to pour forth their ''unpremeditated lays." 
Sometimes, exhausted by their own energy, the improvis- 
satori suddenly stop, and their animated countenances will 
assume a deadly paleness. 

An amusement, which in other countries is confined to 
children, is here enjoyed by persons of all ranks and ages, 
that of a puppet-show. But the perfection to which the 
Italians have brought this display of puppets will account 
for the delight they experience in this amusement ; for they 
are elegant, active little figures, and perform ballets, tragedies 
and comedies. And I must now tell you, en passant, that 
Punch is an Italian gentleman, who has from time immemo- 
rial played his pranks for the amusement of his country- 
men, particularly the Neapolitans. As for Harlequin his 
origin is not known, but it is generally believed that France 
was his original country.* 

The mildness of the Italian climate permits the work 
people and artisans to carry on their pursuits in the open 
air : the common people are sociable, and share each other's 
amusement, and at little cost. They are sober and frugal 
in their diet, living chiefly upon vegetables. 

At Naples, it is a pleasing sight to see with what care 



* M. Florian assigns the north of Italy as the country where 
Harlequin first made his appearance — Translator, 



164 EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 

the disposal of provisions is made to seduce the eyes and 
excite the appetite of the poorer classes of society, who 
pass the chief of their time in the open air, under the 
finest sky in the world ; a light clothing and a few pence 
to feed them is all that they require : thus, easily satisfied, 
they work but little, and are fond of repose. Formerly, 
there were hundreds of people possessing nothing in the 
world but what they had on, who passed the nights upon 
the step of a door, or a bench in the open air. These 
men were called Lazzaroni. The late revolutions however 
have greatly diminished this race, who have been com- 
pelled to work, but principally from the circumstance of 
the number who were forced to join the army, and were 
killed in the wars. 

The Neapolitans of the capital lead an idle life, rude, it 
is true, but generally speaking sober. Shellfish, thrown 
on shore by the tiJe, a little maccaroni, herbs, and water, 
form their principal food. Shops set out with meat in the 
neatest style ; and fruit arranged in the most inviting man- 
ner tempt their palates. There you may see pyramids of 
sliced melons and pumpkins set out with laurel leaves ; 
there the fruiterer has tastefully displayed tomatos, dried 
grapes, and dates smiling amidst myrtle leaves, box, and 
other evergreens, the whole occasionally diversified with 
garlands of flowers, and crowns and festoons of succory and 
dandelion. The Neapolitan lives upon everything which 
is eatable; grains of maize, chestnuts, pompion seeds, 
gourds, and melons, with a few grapes, sufiice to appease 
his hunger, and with this slender food he becomes stout 
and fat, although he never attains any considerable height. 
A little water and ice q ench his thirst. 

Under so hot a chmate as Naples, ice is a necessary ; in 
fact, it is used as a remedy in many maladies. The Nea* 



ELEVENTH EVENING. 165 

politatis have a greater variety of ices than any other peo- 
ple; there is scarcely a fruit from the juice of v^^hich they 
have not made sherbets united with ice. In great houses 
the dessert is composed principally of these, imitating a 
variety of dishes ranged round a pyramid of ice. 

Eager after enjoyments, the Italians find them in their 
religion, which gives them frequent holidays, and presents 
them with grand spectacles. In Advent, for example — but 
do you know, my children, the meaning of the word Ad- 
vent ? ^ 

Gustav, Advent is derived from the Latin word adventus, 
and means the coming. It is applied to the four weeks 
preceding Christmas, which the church has set apart for 
Christians as the period in which they are to prepare for 
that great festival, the birth of our Saviour. 

Mr, O. Very well. In the times when Christians were 
animated with more fervent piety, this period was consi- 
dered, agreeably to the injunctions of the church, as an 
important interval, which ought to be spent in meditation 
and retirement. They abstained from tumultuous plea- 
sures, from all actions liable to divert them from a serious 
train of thought, and carefully examined their hearts dur- 
ing that time, with a view to discover and extirpate all evil 
propensities. By these pious exercises, they prepared for 
a festival designed to perpetuate the remembrance of a 
most glorious and happy event. The modern Romans 
have preserved in a greater degree than any other people a 
vestige of the virtuous manners of the primitive Christians. 
During the whole period of Advent, they have no public 
amusements; the theatres are shut; the balls and concerts 
are also suspended : but in this interval, the people have 
other diversions, which, though more simple and analogous 
to circumstances, ^re to them not the less attractive. In 



166 EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 



many houses they erect a kind of stage, on which they ex- 
hibit very naturally the circumstances attending the birth 
of Christ. There they represent the wonderful spectacle 
of the greatest of mysteries ; the Son of God made man, 
and come down upon earth for our salvation. A wretched 
stable affords a shelter to his parents, Joseph and Mary ; 
the infant lies between them upon grass and leaves ; the 
kings of the east come to worship him in this humble 
abode, and to present him with the productions of their 
respective countries ; but they, are preceded by the shep- 
herds of the vicinity, to whom an angel announces the glad 
tidings of the birth of our Saviour. Some of them are 
seen on their knees before the divine infant; others, leav- 
ing their flocks in the fields, are running towards the stable. 
Holy awe and respectful curiosity are expressed in their 
countenances. All these groups appear in the midst of a 
beautiful part of the country of Judea. Behind the stable 
is seen the village of Bethlehem ; and the adjacent country 
is diversified with trees of various kinds, animals, houses, 
lofty mountains, and other objects. The character of the 
whole is uncommonly well preserved ; but it is in the 
accessories that the talents of the artists are particularly 
displayed, and the illusion is as strong as it can possibly 
be rendered. On entering an apartment where one of 
these pious compositions is exhibited, you fancy yourself 
all at once transported into the east, into the happy coun- 
try in which the Saviour of the world was born : you are 
tempted to mingle with the shepherds, in order to enjoy 
the happiness of which they were deemed worthy. Though 
you know that this scene is but an ingenious method of 
producing a lively idea of an event which occurred eigh- 
teen centuries ago, yet you seem to be carried back to the 
very moment when it happened, and you represent it to 



1 



ELEVENTH EVENING. 167 

yourself with a devotion which leaves behind a delicious 
impression on the soul. 

1 have seen pictures of this kind executed with such 
art that the most acute eye could not distinguish whether 
the scenery perceived through a narrow aperture was a 
real landscape, skilfully employed so as to heighten the 
illusion, or whether it was only an imitation of nature. 
As all the rest of the apartment was dark, and you could 
not discover whence the light came which illumined the 
scene in a very brilliant manner, it was scarcely possible 
to withstand the deception. The distant trees appeared of 
a dull hue ; the hills which bounded the horizon seemed 
to be fifteen or twenty miles off; and you even perceived 
the aromatic smell exhaled by several wild plants. Those 
who are at the expense of such a spectacle, which at Rome 
is called presepio, are guided by the most disinterested 
motives. They admit all persons indiscriminately, and few 
of the inhabitants of Rome fail to partake of this truly 
curious kind of amusement. 

During the same season, the city of Rome affords ano- 
ther diversion, which is also of a religious tendency. It 
is produced by a class of people called pifferari. These 
are Neapolitan peasants, chiefly from the province of Ab- 
ruzzo, who proceed from door to door, and stop before 
the image of the blessed Virgin, playing religious tunes 
on their bagpipes, which they accompany with their voices. 
They generally go two or three together; they are bare- 
headed, and are very often distinguished by a physiog- 
nomy which commands respect. It is impossible to see 
and hear without edification these simple people, who so 
strongly remind you of the shepherds of Bethlehem ; for 
you doubtless guess by this time that the practice of 
which I am speaking was instituted only for that purpose. 



168 ETEXIXG ENTERTAIN31ENTS. 

They first play the tune of the hymn, and then one of 
them sings the words, and is accompanied by the bagpipes. 
The sound of those instruments is not the most pleasing, 
but it is precisely their rustic simplicity that produces the 
principal effect upon the ear of the auditors. Most of the 
tunes which these shepherds play with such a natural ex- 
pression are extremely pathetic ; and, when heard at a 
distance, their music is capable of moving even to tears. 
They arrive in Rome at the beginning of Advent ; and the 
owners of the houses, before each of which there is usually 
a statue of the Virgin iMary, make an agreement with them 
to come and play a certain number of times ; besides which 
the neighbours and passengers bestow a trifle on them. It 
is astonishing that, among all the Italians, these peasants 
alone possess a decided talent for this kind of music ; and 
it is undoubtedly for this reason that the inhabitants of 
Rome, which is at a considerable distance from their coun- 
try, encourage their visits, and take such delight in their 
edifying hymns. 

No place surpasses Rome in the magnificence of its re- 
ligious festivals and ceremonies ; nowhere are the solemn 
days consecrated by the church to the veneration of 
those characters who shed a lustre upon it in the first ages 
of Christianity, by their zeal and their virtues, celebrated 
with greater pomp. The festivals of the patron saints are 
remarkable for a magnificence worthy of the capital of the 
Christian world. The churches are then adorned in the 
most splendid manner ; several hundreds of wax tapers, 
arranged in admirable order, difiuse a brilliant light. An 
immense concourse of the faithful eagerly attend the ser- 
vice of the day, which is performed with the accompaniment 
of majestic music. At night the houses and streets conti- 
guous to the churches are illuminated, and the festival com- 



I 



ELEVENTH EVENING. 169 

monly concludes with fire-works. The lower classes are 
extremely fond of this diversion ; and, as you may su^ipose, 
it is they who take the greatest part in these festivals. No- 
thing can be more magnificent than the spectacle exhibited 
on St. Peter's day by the dome of the church dedicated to 
that apostle. 

Edw, Papa, is not that the church which you showed 
us a print of, and which is thought to be the most beautiful 
in the world? 

Mr, O, The same. Well, on that day the prodigious 
cupola, which rises to the height of four hundred feet, is 
completely illuminated, and at a distance resembles an 
immense globe of fire suspended in the air. Another spec- 
tacle, not much less striking, is displayed on the same 
occasion in the fire-works let off from the top of the castle 
of St. Angelo, whence they rise above the venerable edi- 
fices of ancient Rome, and are reflected in the current of 
the Tiber, which flows near the spot. Such solemnities 
make a deep impression on the souls of the spectators, and 
rarely is the memory of these brilliant exhibitions erased 
from their minds. 

Mr. Oakley here rose, to the great regret of his chil- 
dren, who would have wished him to continue; but, ac- 
customed to comply in everything with the will of their 
father, they contented themselves for the present with 
the pleasure which they had received, and asked for no 
more. 



VOL. II. 15 



( 170 ) 



TWELFTH EVENING. 




The children having reminded Mr. Oakley of his promise 
of the preceding evening, he began thus: — 

One would suppose that the festivals spread throughout 
the year were not sufficient for the joyous disposition of 
the Italians, since they have appropriated nearly three 
months to the pleasures of the carnival. At Rome it lasts 
but eight days ; but at Venice it extends from Christmas 
to Lent: and formerly, when there was a doge at the head 
of the republic, they celebrated a fete at the festival of the 
Ascension, called Bucentaur. The doge, having repaired 
to the Adriatic in a superb barge, threw into the sea a 
ring, to indicate that the Venetians, from their naval 
power, had enchained that wonderful element. During 
the carnival, masquerades, balls, games, races, &:c. divide 
the attention of the Venetians. Folly and pleasure then 
reign paramount: it is the Saturnalia of the ancients, 



TWELFTH EVENING. 171 

modernized according to the taste of the times. At the 
period of the establishment of the Saturnalia, all were 
happy, because each was content with the gifts of nature, 
and had no other ambition than to live in harmony with 
his neighbours, and to cultivate his field in peace. But 
this state of things did not last for ever : the manners 
of these people gradually became corrupted ; peace and 
harmony gave place to discord, ambition, and every vice. 
Some seized all the possessions of the others, who were 
thus reduced to poverty, and obliged to work for the rich; 
and then were first seen the distinctions of masters and 
slaves. It appears, however, that they were unwilling to 
banish entirely from their remembrance the primitive 
state of mankind, in which all were equal, and enjoyed the 
same rights. One day in the year was therefore set apart, 
when all were considered upon an equal footing, when 
they sought to drown the sorrows of life in the recollec- 
tion of the golden age, and to indulge only in joy, and in 
those pleasures which result from the liberty and equality 
of a people. Such was the origin of the Saturnalia, a fes- 
tival designed to commemorate the good times of King 
Saturn, whose statue had its legs tied all the year ; where- 
as, during this festival they were loosed, to denote by this 
emblem, that, on this day, all men were restored to the 
freedom of their primitive condition. 

In the beginning the Saturnalia lasted but one day: 
but they were gradually prolonged to three, afterwards to 
five days, and under the emperors to seven ; the two last 
of which were particularly appropriated to the diversions 
and sports of children, as it was deemed wrong to deprive 
them of the pleasure of taking part in this charming gene- 
ral festival. During these days the slaves enjoyed per- 
fect liberty, and were treated as equals by their mas- 



172 EVENING ENTERTAINTJJNTS. 

ters ; the poor were allowed the same privileges as the 
rich. Neither the senate nor the courts of justice sat 
during this interval ^ all business of every kind was sus- 
pended ; schoolboys kept holiday; joy and mirth glad- 
dened every face; and friends, at meeting, wished one 
another a good Saturnalia, saying : lo Saturnalia, bona 
Saturnalia, as we are accustomed to wish each other a 
happy new year. To render this festival still more in- 
teresting by acts of humanity, some prisoners were set 
at liberty, and went from the place of their confinement 
to hang up their fetters in the temple of Saturn. The 
slaves on those days wore hats, — a privilege otherwise be- 
longing exclusively to freemen, — and a robe lined with 
purple, like their rnasters. The latter even waited on 
them at table, and were not at all offended if their slaves 
frankly reproved them for anything that they had to find 
fault with in their behaviour. 

This circumstance furnished a Latin poet with a pleas- 
ing subject for one of his pieces. He supposes that his 
slave, availing himself of the liberty' of the Saturnalia, 
has been giving him a scolding, and proving, by the ex- 
hibition of all his defects, that, though he is master, yet 
that he is nevertheless in still more abject servitude than 
his slave. ''What!" he represents him as saying, "do 
you pretend to be my master, and yet meanly give way 
to all your desires, and are the servile instrument of .all 
your passions? Are you not, in fact, reduced to a state of 
slavery, if you are always dependent on your appetite, if 
you are continually uneasy on account of your body, if 
you suffer yourself to be tormented and overwhelmed 
with care?" — You may see from this passage, of which I 
have only given the general meaning, with what freedom 
the slaves, who, during the rest of the year, were reduced 



TWELFTH EVENING. 173 

to silence, might then express themselves in regard to their 
masters. It should be remarked, that this custom likewise 
existed in Greece at a very early period ; and that the 
Saturnalia were there celebrated by the name of Chronia, 
from the word Chronos, synonymous with Saturn, or the 
God of Time. For this reason, he was represented with a 
chaplet of flowers and a scythe. The first of these ex- 
pressive emblems denoted the continual youth of nature ; 
and the second the destructive power of time, who mows 
down all things, and is making incessant ravages : it was 
the idea of life combined with that of death. In general, 
the ancients were fond of Uniting these two ideas, bor- 
rowed from the processes of nature, who destroys to re- 
compose, who dispenses death in order to produce new 
germs of life. Thus, though they enjoyed not those 
soothing consolations which religion affords us in the 
promise of another and a better world ; still the ancients 
beheld nothing alarming in the idea of death, because 
an attentive observation of the course of nature had 
taught them, that whatever she produces is transitory, 
and is finally destroyed that it may give life to other 
beings. 

I have just told you, that under the emperors the du- 
ration of the Saturnalia was extended to seven days. On 
the two last, friends reciprocally made each other little 
presents of small value, in commemoration of the times 
when the manners and wants of mankind were alike sim- 
ple. These presents were sent rather as a token of good- 
will and affection than to make an ostentatious display of 
wealth ; they consisted of fruits, small packets of incense, 
tapers, &:c. Martial, the poet, complains, in one of his 
epigrams addressed to an opulent friend, because the 
latter had sent him, by eight robust slaves, twelve tablets, 
15* 



174 EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 

seven tooth-picks, one sponge, a cup of baked earth, a mea- 
sure of beans, a small basket of olives, a jar of raisins, and 
two jars of bad figs; adding, eight strong slaves could 
scarcely bring me all this ; whereas a child would with ease 
have carried three pounds of good silver. But in Martial's 
time the manners of the Romans were already corrupted ; 
and more regard was paid to the quality of presents than 
to the sentiments of the person from whom they came. 
As everything in these festivals was designed to comme- 
morate the simplicity of the manners of the early ages, 
nuts were staked instead of money, in the different games 
that were played ; for, in those happy times, rapacity and 
avarice, two vices that lead to many others, were yet un- 
known. 

That the carnival is evidently the festival of the Satur- 
nalia in a modern dress, you will be convinced by the de- 
scription which I am going to give you of the manner in 
which it was celebrated during my residence at Rome. 

In that city the carnival lasts eight days. During all 
this time, excepting on the Sunday and saints' days, no- 
thing is to be seen but masquerades and horse-races. The 
opening of the carnival is announced by the bell of the 
Capitol, an edifice in which the municipal officers of the 
city assemble. Detachments of soldiers and sbirri, a kind 
of civil guards, are stationed in the Corse and in the ad- 
jacent streets, to prevent disorder. 

The Corso is a beautiful street, about a mile and a half 
long. The windows and balconies are adorned with rich 
hangings, and full of spectators. This street is crowded 
with people in masks, who exhibit the most singular and 
diversified spectacle that can be imagined. The perfect 
equality which prevails, during these festivals, between 
^11 ranks, banishes every idea of restraint, and diffuses 



TWELFTH EVENING. 175 

gaiety among the multitude. Dresses of all kinds, and of 
all conditions, serve for a disguise. Here you see hostlers 
with prodigious brushes going up to the passengers to 
brush the backs of their coats; and there you are ac- 
costed by vetturini, or carriers, a very numerous class of 
people in Italy, who with their usual importunity offer 
their services to every one they meet. A pretended advo- 
cate suddenly makes his way through the crowd, walk- 
ing at a great rate, and declaiming aloud as though he 
were pleading at the bar ; he addresses the people at the 
windows, or stops the pedestrians, threatening to prose- 
cute them for some imaginary crime, or to sue them for 
some debt or other. Harlequins mingle with the multi- 
tude, and excite laughter by their comical tricks. They 
frequently collect into a group, choose a king, put a 
sceptre into his hand, set him in a little carriage, and lead 
him in procession, accompanied with music the whole 
length of the street. Others assemble in a different place, 
pretend to quarrel, and in the midst of the dispute draw 
large cutlasses of silvered paper, with which they hew 
away unmercifully at their adversaries. The mendicant 
costume is very frequently seen among this medley of 
dresses of every kind. Fine hair flowing down the back, 
a white mask, a money-box tied to a coloured riband, a 
stick, and the hat carried in the hand, are the charac- 
teristics of this cos.ume. In supplicating attitudes these 
beggars go up to the windows, and hold forth their boxes ; 
sweetmeats, nuts, and other things of the kind are given 
them instead of an alms. 

After the masquerades, the Corso becomes the scene of 
horse-racing, which is an amusement of long standing at 
Rome, as may be known by a barbarous custom commonly 
practised at them formerly. The prizes which are now 



176 EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 

given are of silver, in ancient times they consisted of pieces 
of stuff, which the Jews of Eome were compelled to furnish 
gratuitously : you will never guess the reason of this cus- 
tom ; it was a tribute on their part, which redeemed the 
obligation formerly imposed upon them to become a spec- 
tacle to the populace, by running themselves as the horses 
do now. 

Caroline, To run themselves ! 

Mr, O, This fact is unfortunately but too well authen- 
ticated, and certainly does not convey the most favourable 
idea of the toleration of past ages. 

Eliza, "Why were the poor Jews treated in this manner ? 

Mr, O, It was considered a very pious action to punish 
these people for the unjust and cruel death inflicted on 
our Saviour by their nation, or rather by the fanatics of 
their nation. For this reason their descendants were 
treated with the utmost contempt and even inhumanity. 
It is impossible to read, without indignation, that Charle- 
magne, after putting to death the heads of the synagogue, 
ordered, that in future all the Jews resident at Toulouse 
should receive a box on the ear thrice a year at the door of 
the cathedral. In some of the towns of Languedoc and 
Provence, it was formerly lawful for Christians, during 
the Passion Week, to beat all the Jews they happened to 
meet with in the streets. In other places they were 
obliged to pay enormous sums for permission to settle 
there ; and in large cities they were confined to particular 
streets, the avenues to which were closed every night, as 
was customary not long since in several towns of Ger- 
many. Sentiments, consonant with justice and humanity, 
have fortunately been adopted in the present age ; and we 
observe with pleasure, that the Jews have begun to be con- 
sidered as good citizens as people belonging to other reli- 



TWELFTH EVENING. 177 

gions, and are admitted to share the rights enjoyed by 
other members of the community. 

The last day of the carnival at Rome is the most bril- 
liant of all. Scarcely has the sun set, when the Corso 
begins to be illuminated in the most expeditious and mag- 
nificent manner. The servants besides fix torches on the 
tops of the carriages ; and the hackney-coaches are pro- 
vided with paper lanterns. Even among the pedestrians 
there are many who carry on their heads tall pyramids 
containing lights. From this moment nobody appears 
without a piece of candle in his hand, and on all sides is 
heard this abusive expression, which is very common 
among the Romans : Sia amazzato — Be assassinated — a 
barbarous wish, unfortunately but too often fulfilled in that 
city ; though, during the carnival, it is a mere joke, and 
there is nothing alarming in it. Sia amazzato chi non 
porto moccolo — Let him who does not carry a candle be 
assassinated — such is the salutation with which you are 
greeted at every step ; each individual repeats it to his 
neighbour, at the same time endeavouring to blow out his 
light. Wherever people meet, whether in the house or in 
the street, whether they are acquainted or not, be their 
rank whatever it will, they strive to extinguish each other's 
lights. No place is secure from this universal mania; 
people clamber up the carriages, and to the windows of 
houses ; they penetrate into the midst of companies, put- 
ting out every light they can come near, and taking care 
at the same time to preserve their own. Such is the bus- 
tle and noise on this occasion that you are at length com- 
pletely stunned, and obliged to seek some retired place to 
recover yourself. It is not till the night is far advanced 
that the multitude disperses, and this singular festival ter- 
minates. 



178 



EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 



Gustav, Did you ever ascend the Andes, while you were 
in South America, Captain Martui? 

Captain Martin, Often. I have ascended to the moun- 
tain mines of Peru, with Indians and Peruvians for my 
guides, and Llamas to carry my baggage.* 

Gustav, Is it true that these animals are generally used 
in those regions for carrying burdens ? 

Captain M, Very true. They constitute the chief 
riches of the Indians, and add considerably to the wealth of 
the Spaniards. They are capable of carrying heavy loads 
in the most rugged and dangerous ways. The strongest 
of them wdll travel with from one hundred and fifty to two 
hundred and fifty pounds weight upon their backs ; their pace 
is slow, and their journey seldom more than fifteen miles a 
day ; but they are very sure footed, easily descending preci- 
pices, and travelling safely amongst the most craggy rocks 
where men can scarcely accompany them . They travel about 
five days together and then require two or three days of rest. 
They are employed in the Peruvian mine territories for con- 
veying ores over the rugged hills and narrow passes of the 
Andes. They are also useful for other purposes. Their 
flesh is very good and wholesome food and their wool is 
made into beautiful clothing. 



See cut on page 170, 



( 179 ) 



THIRTEENTH EVENING. 







Mr. O, The numerous religious festivals which are cele- 
brated in the south of Europe induce me to take a cursory- 
view of some of those fetes which are so generally adopted. 

In the early ages of the world, when mankind lived in 
all the simplicity of nature, attending to their flocks and 
herds, and devoting much of their time to agriculture, 
they were naturally induced to observe the course of the 
sun, and the punctual return of the four seasons. Thus the 
arrival of the sun in the vernal equinox, the summer solstice, 
the autumnal equinox, and even the winter solstice, became 
seasons of rejoicing, and their return was always celebra- 
ted by feasts and amusements of various kinds. In process 
of time, and as mankind left the open plains and assembled 
in cities, they forgot the origin of these festivals ; yet they 
continued to celebrate them, and with increasing splendour 
and solemnity. 

The Greeks and Romans introduced their deities, and trans- 



180 EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 

formed these festivals, which at first were only the natural 
expression of the joy and gratitude of pastoral nations, into 
religious feasts in honour of some of their gods, or some re- 
markable mythological event. But when the light of Chris- 
tianity was diffused over the world, it became absolutely 
necessary that this religion should relinquish the false no- 
tions of the Pagans, and take no share in their public festi- 
vals. As, hov/ever, the heads of the church, from truly 
paternal feelings of kindness and affection, were unwil- 
ling to deprive the new converts entirely of their ancient 
customs and opportunities of joining, at certain periods, in 
decorous and moderate rejoicings, they substituted for these 
heathen festivals others, commemorative of some remarka- 
ble event for Christians ; so that the customs themselves 
were retained, though they were directed to a better pur- 
pose. Such, for instance, is the origin of Christmas, 
which v/as observed with such ceremony by our ancestors 
that it is worth our while to take some notice of the 
subject. 

This festival happens near the end of December; that 
is, at the period when the sun, having apparently finished 
his circuit round the earth, begins his course anew. It 
was at this time that the Romans celebrated the Satur- 
nalia, which I last night described to you, and afterwards 
the festival of Janus, which has given name to the month 
of January, the first in the year. The church thought 
that it could not better replace these heathen festivals than 
by substituting that of the nativity of Christ ; whence, as 
you know, it is denominated Christmas. 

In the first ages of Christianity, most of the ceremo- 
nies with which the Pagans celebrated the period of the 
returning sim were retained in this festival, and others 
relating to the remarkable event which the church in- 



THIRTEENTH EVENING. 181 

tended to commemorate by its institution were added. 
Among the ancient customs must be particularly noticed 
that of making presents to friends, and especially to chil* 
dren, at this season; — a custom which gave rise to the 
Christmas-boxes, presented in some countries on Christ- 
mas-eve, with ceremonies which were added by the first 
Christians, whose uncultivated minds required that the 
truths to be instilled into them should be rendered palpa- 
ble to the senses. Thus, as it was intended to convey a 
strong and striking idea of the nativity of Christ, a re- 
presentation of a stable, after the description given in the 
New Testament, was exhibited on Christmas-day in all 
the churches, where the infant Jesus was seen with his 
parents, the shepherds, the angels, and in short, with all 
the accessories mentioned in the account of the evangelists. 
Pious believers sung hymns before these images, expres- 
sive of their joy on account of the birth of our Saviour. 
It was midnight when the festival began, because Christ 
came into the world in the night. Such is the origin of 
the custom, which still prevails in some countries, of pre- 
senting children on Christmas-eve with a kind of grotto 
or cradle of curious workmanship, adorned with fruits, 
sweetmeats, or other delicacies, illuminated in the most 
brilliant manner. 

In these pious customs also originated a practice com- 
mon in various parts of France. The father of the family 
sings hymns with great solemnity before a large fire, with 
his wife and children. He directs the youngest to go and 
pray in a corner of the room, and meanwhile he places 
several parcels of sugar-plums or sweetmeats behind or 
in a large billet of wood, frequently hollowed beforehand 
for the purpose. The child returns to the fire, and with a 
stick repeatedly strikes the billet, till the sweetmeats drop 

VOL. II. 16 



182 



EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 



1 



out, tind these he picks up with shouts of joy as presents 
from the infant Jesus. 

In those climates where, in the month of December, the 
inhabitants enjoy a temperature which we sometimes look 
for in vain in the month of May, Christmas is celebrated in 
the open air, by popular amusements. On Christmas-eve, 
at Valencia upon the eastern coast of Spain, all is life and 
gaiety. The streets and churches are thronged with people 
of all ranks; everywhere you see small stages with man- 
gers, which, though not so beautiful as those of Rome, are 
not less visited and admired by the curious. Bands of 
music parade the streets, stop before every manger, and 
play pastoral tunes, which are accompanied wuth shouts of 
joy. As soon as it is dark, the city is illuminated with 
numerous transparencies, pyramids of lamps, and thou- 
sands of torches, which are carried in the streets. Colla- 
tions, displaying the fruits of almost every season, and 
flowers which we enjoy in summer alone are presented to 
every visitor ; and in the streets the people pelt one another 
with fruits, sugar -plums, and confectionary. In other places 
are exhibited dramatic pieces, the subjects of which are 
taken from sacred history; or they amuse themselves with 
a national dance called the volero. Guns are fired in all 
directions, and every person of any ability entertains his 
friends on the festive occasion. At midnight the crowd 
throng to the churches, which are brilliantly illuminated, 
and display all the rich ornaments they possess. The ta- 
bernacle of the cathedral in particular, which is eight feet 
high, made of silver, gilt, and enriched with diamonds and 
other precious stones, produces the most beautiful effect 
that can possibly be imagined. In these sacred places the 
bustle which prevailed in the streets does not entirely cease ; 
and all the respect due to them is scarcely capable of re- 



THIRTEENTH EVENING. 183 

Straining the expressions of that general joy which spreads 
from one to another, and indiscriminately pervades all ages 
and all ranks. 

The same ceremonies and the same gaiety prevails at 
Provence at this festive season. During Advent, serenades, 
called in the Provencal tongue, Amhades de Calenes^ are 
given. On Christmas night mass is said, after which dif- 
ferent families unite to make a collation, in which the 
finest fruits of the country are served. Very frequently 
this reunion of families is the means of reconciling those 
members of them who had disagreed. The head of the 
family makes the first advances, the most respectable of the 
relations second him, and it would be strange indeed, if 
any one could resist such advances, and hesitate to plunge 
their wrongs, whether real or imaginary, into the waters 
of oblivion. Oil and wine are then thrown upon the 
Christmas log which is burning in the chimney. The 
streets resound with the sound of the tambourine and other 
instruments, and Provencal carols : bouquets of flowers 
are exchanged, the tables are ornamented with orange and 
laurel branches ; the children are presented with little 
mangers and other toys ; and these, as you may suppose, 
do not form the least amusing part of the ceremony to 
them. At Marseilles this festival is celebrated with equal 
splendour. 

At a period when civilization had made but few ad- 
vances, this festival was attended by many rude and dis- 
gusting ceremonies ; such, for instance, as *' The feast of 
foolsf^ and, if we judge of it by the description of old 
writers, it is impossible to help thinking that people must 
actually have lost their senses, to commit all the extrava- 
gancies which those who took a part in this festival are 
accused of. This idea appears the more plausible when 



184 EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 

we consider that it was in the churches themselves, in the 
most sacred places, that these pious but ridiculous rejoic- 
ings were held. You will scarcely conceive how they could 
have been so long endured, when I inform you, that on this 
occasion an ass was led in procession in every cathedral. 
The minor canons and the singing boys having thrown a 
large cloak over the back of the ass, went to receive him 
at the door of the church, singing a ludicrous anthem, 
and imitating the braying of that animal. On this occa- 
sion the priests and clergy were fantastically dressed, 
some like buffoons, others in female attire, &;c. These 
festivals were accompanied with many other ceremonies 
equally extravagant ; but having been abolished as soon 
as the light of reason pervaded Europe, it would answer 
no purpose to enter into a detail of them, as they tend 
rather to excite our pity for the people of those times 
than to furnish amusement. Had they possessed all the 
resources which we at the present day enjoy for our in- 
struction, they would perhaps have made a better use of 
them than we do. We ought always to allow due weight 
to this consideration, when we venture to form an opinion 
respecting manners and customs that differ from our own; 
otherwise our judgment is liable to be totally false. 

Our countrymen and other nations seemed, formerly, 
to have possessed so few means of diversion that they re- 
sorted to folly to procure it. All sovereign princes and 
great men had fools, whose office it was to make sport for 
their masters. The states of Burgundy had societies and 
festivals of fools. At Lille there was a prince of fools ; 
at Bouchain 2.prevot des etrardes; and at Dijon, a com- 
pany called de la mere folk, composed of five hundred 
persons of the best societies, who during the carnival, tra- 
verse the town in grand procession ; each dressed in the 



THIRTEENTH EVENING. 185 

habit of a harlequin and a cap, and carrying in their hands 
a rattle* In other places people assumed the form of apes, 
asses, foxes, &c. 

After Christmas-day came New-Years day, which had 
its peculiar ceremonies. In some of the provinces of 
France, even to this day, a Gaulish custom is preserved of 
gathering the sacred mistletoe from the oak. The cry of 
Gui ran neuf is still sang in some country places. 

Then comes Twelflh-day, which is everywhere cele- 
brated in family parties. I have already spoken to you 
of the festival of Easter, which is, for the Russians in par- 
ticular, the feast of spring, as the feast of St. John or Mid- 
summer was formerly considered by the ancients. 

The bonfires made in some countries on St. John's day 
are likewise a relic of the customs of the nations of anti- 
quity. Formerly on the eve of St. John the Baptist, which 
regularly falls two days after the summer solstice it was 
customary in almost all the towns of France to make a 
bonfire, which the magistrates, in their state dress, went in 
solemn procession to light at sunset, amidst the acclama- 
tions of the people, who often carried away brands or live 
coals from it. Among the eastern nations, the new year 
commenced, as it did with the Greeks, at the summer 
solstice ; that is, in the month which we call June, and 
this was celebrated by lighting a fire at midnight. The 
water drawn and the flowers gathered on Midsummer-eve 
were supposed to possess particular properties. 

The first of May is a season of peculiar festivity in the 
country, which is then clothed with verdure, and in the 
southern climes is arrayed in all the magnificence of nature. 
At the autumnal equinox the vintage is celebrated. Italy 
preserves a vast number of these ancient customs, which 
she has transformed into religious ceremonies. The 

16* 



186 EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 

Italians are exceedingly attached to everything which re- 
lates to their worship and their superstitions, which are 
mingled with their everyday pursuits, and are sometimes of 
the most whimsical kind. Imagine to yourself a number 
of people going up the stairs of some particular chamber, 
upon their knees, in order to propitiate heaven, and obtain 
from it success in a lottery. 

Mr. Oakley's children laughed at this description, and 
Caroline exclaimed, " Is it possible that superstition can 
go so far?" 

Mr. O, Those who fancy religion consists in outward 
ceremonies are but too liable to be led into the greatest 
absurdities ; and this is often the case where religion is 
surrounded by a great deal of pomp. 

From hence it naturally happens that the religious festi- 
vals oftentimes degenerate into mere spectacles. 

The festival which made the most impression upon me, 
when I was in Rome, was that dedicated to the dead, and 
which is celebrated the day after All Saints. 

The same ceremony is performed annually in the cata- 
combs of Paris, presenting one of the most awful specta- 
cles imaginable. In Italy, the solemnity is, however, inter- 
rupted by the whimsicalness of the objects displayed to 
the eyes of the populace, and the fruits which should arise 
from the contemplation of this annual consecration, and 
composure of the sad relics of mortality are thus foolishly 
blighted. Men truly pious resort upon these days to a 
church where they pass the hours in silence, meditating 
upon the vanity and nothingness of human life, and its 
pomps and pleasure. 

Gustav. Captain Martin, you have been a great hun- 
ter in your time, — did you ever hunt the American lion? 

Captain Martin, Yes, and rare sport it was too. This 



THIRTEENTH EVENING. 187 

animal which is generally called the Puma or Couguar is 
found in various parts of the American continent from Hud- 
son's bay to Patagonia. I have shot them in North Amer- 
ica, and hunted them with the lasso in South America. 
The lasso, you know, is a thong of raw hide, about twen- 
ty or thirty yards long, with a running noose at the end of 
it. It is carried in a coil at the saddle bow. The hunter 
pursues the animal at full speed on horseback till he is 
near enough to be sure of his mark, and then throws it 
with such unerring precision that the puma is instantly 
throttled and dragged along the plain by the neck. I learnt 
the use of the lasso myself while I was in South America, 
and caught a puma one day, at the instant he was preying 
on a kid.* 

* See cut on page 179. 



( 188 ) 



FOURTEENTH EVENING. 




The next evening Mr. Oakley began as follows : — -It is 
not in Italy only that religious ceremonies are attended 
with so much pomp. Spain and Portugal attach equal 
importance to them. The Spaniards seem to exhaust all 
their genius and wealth in splendid fetes, without being at 
all sensible to those wants which strangers are so aston- 
ished to find among them. Their inns are for the most 
part disgusting, where the traveller must be content with a 
wretched bed; as for food, he. must seek it himself, either 
in the city or village; the master of the house will not 
provide it. In the private houses of many of the provinces, 
there are no chimneys, and none of those comforts as to 
furniture, which we consider indispensable; on the con- 
trary, in their churches and processions, the most profuse 
luxury is exhibited. Thousands of w^ax lights illuminate 
the churches upon the different fetes, the altars glitter 




FOURTEENTH EVENING. 189 

with gold and silver. A crowd of persons assemble upon 
these occasions, which become most worldly, from the 
display and pomp with which they are accompanied. 
Upon Holy Thursday and Good Friday every person in 
Barcelona appears in the habit of a '' Penitent f^ that is 
to say, in a black sack, with a capuchin, and a long trail- 
ing tail. A thick white cord is fastened round the waist. 
The nobles who mingle with the people display their van- 
ity by wearing a dagger stuck in their belts, and having on 
white gloves, and carrying large tapers in their hands; 
they are followed by their domestics in livery; others 
walk barefooted, dragging after them a long chain or great 
cross. Large litters are also exhibited, ornamented with 
artificial flowers, upon which is represented the several 
actions of our Saviour's life. 

In this respect the city of Valencia surpasses all the 
other towns of that kingdom. On Maundy Thursday, 
Good Friday, Corpus Christi day, and the festivals of St. 
Joseph and of St. Vincent, the patron of the city, the 
streets are adorned with tapestry, hangings, and garlands 
of flowers, and galleries are erected for bands of music. 
Those who attend the procession are superbly dressed after 
the ancient fashion. Some, in gowns of black velvet, carry 
wax candles ; others red and purple flags ; others in the 
oriental costume, in imitation of the chosen people of God, 
advance in cadence, dancing to the sound of castanets 
and tambourines ; whilst others again play on didzainas, 
a kind of hautboy peculiar to that country. All the cor- 
porations of the city, the companies, the trades, the 
schools, take part in these solemnities, and the concourse 
of people is immense. — At night the houses are illumi- 
nated — in a word, they are truly popular festivals, which 
perfectly answer the end for which they were designed. 



190 EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 

A stranger may, however, discover in them some reprehen- 
sible things, and condemn the bad taste which prevails 
in their arrangements. It is customary, for instance, at 
Valencia, for all processions to be headed by gigantic 
figures, of prodigious stature, carried and moved in every 
direction by men concealed under their drapery, which 
certainly appears ridiculous and indecorous in such solemn 
ceremonies. The same reflection applies to the grotesque 
dresses in which various persons are habited ; but we must 
not judge with too great severity of abuses, which appear 
such to us, because we are unacquainted with the events to 
which these customs allude. Besides, the people of the 
south are remarkably fond of everything that strikes the 
senses, and their taste is less refined than that of other 
European nations. For this reason, the religious festivals 
at Valencia are generally accompanied with a kind of 
drama if that profane term may be applied to sacred insti- 
tutions. The principal events of the life of Jesus Christ, 
his passion, the most striking passages in the history of the 
saints, are all represented at these solemnities. Theatres 
are erected at a considerable expense in the public places ; 
and dramatic representations, the subject of which has a 
reference to the festival, are exhibited to the assembled 
multitude. All the spectators are moved, and eagerly 
throng to see them again. Religion, so far from being in- 
jured by these customs, as some travellers who judge of 
everything by their own frigid hearts have supposed, is in 
reality a gainer, especially if these representations are ac- 
companied with the magnificence displayed at Valencia "on 
the festival of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin. I 
was once present on this occasion, and I can assure you 
that the ceremony made a stronger impression upon me 
than any that I ever attended in other countries. I shall 



FOURTEENTH EVENING. 191 

never forget the pleasing sensations which I felt at rising 
on the morning of that solemn day, and on perceiving 
the streets already full of people and strewed with odori- 
ferous flowers. To me nothing was more striking than to 
see all the men in their loose doublets of black or blue 
velvet, with short linen breeches, which scarcely cover the 
knees ; and the women with their green or rose coloured 
spencers, their short petticoats, and small floating aprons 
adorned with flowers of the orange-tree and acacia. This 
dress, which was accompanied by hempen shoes, struck 
rae particularly, when I perceived the vivacity, airiness, and 
elegance even of the lowest classes. The beauty of the 
sky, the purity and serenity of the climate, the perfume of 
orange-trees, in a word, the combination of so many things 
to which I was a stranger, was almost sufficient to make 
me imagine myself transported into a new world. I was 
thrilled with pleasing emotion, and mingled with the merry 
throng, resolving to rejoice with them, and to share during 
that day in their innocent gaiety. 

The festival commenced with a procession equally dis- 
tinguished for decorum and magnificence. The exterior 
of all the houses in the streets through which it passed 
wore an aspect of joy and festivity ; the balconies and 
walls were hung with rich tapestry, the ground-floors 
were adorned with mirrors, and the windows with gar- 
lands and festoons of the most beautiful flowers. The 
ringing of all the bells and impressive musie heightened 
the solemnity of the ceremonies. I followed the crowd to 
the cathedral, which the procession entered after passing 
through the city. The interior of the church was one 
blaze of light ; the grand altar, in particular, displayed a 
brilliancy of rays, which would have been too dazzling; but 
that seen as it was, through the beautiful foliage of orange 



192 EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 

and citron-trees 5 which filled the choir, the light was re- 
lieved by their lovely green. The attention too of the 
spectators is principally attracted to a group of painted 
clouds which are suspended, and gradually and slowly un- 
fold, displaying the image of the Virgin ascending to 
heaven. At the same moment a number of canary birds 
are let loose in the body of the church. 

After this religious ceremony, the crowd repair to 
public places of amusement; these consist principally of 
bodily exercises, wrestling, horse-races, and a kind of bal- 
let, some remains of the Moorish customs. 

But the most famous day among the people of the south 
of Europe is that of Corpus Christi. In other Catholic 
countries it is simply a festival of the church, but under 
the fine climate of a southern sky it is a grand national 
festivity, in which all the population both of the cities and 
villages take an active part, and which is embellished by 
the choicest productions of nature and art. It appears as 
if on that day, which falls at a season of the year when 
nature displays the greatest brilliancy, mankind unites to 
celebrate the great benefits which Providence has bestowed 
upon them. In Italy, in Spain, in Provence this fete pre- 
sents the most brilliant display. In the year 1719, Lis- 
bon exhibited the grandest spectacle which can possibly be 
imagined: all the corporations -assembled in the front of the 
chapel of the king's palace : the interior of this chapel was 
magnificently ornamented ; the richest brocades fringed 
with gold decorated the walls; upon the silver shrines, 
gilt, which stood upon the altar, were so many branches 
bearing wax tapers, that they formed a blaze of light en- 
circling a large silver crucifix. 

The tabernacle dazzled the eyes of the beholders ; large 
porticoes, erected at the entrance of the church, served as 



FOURTEENTH EVENING. 193 

vestibules to the house of God : they were decorated with 
rich tapestries, large golden medals, and beautiful vases 
exhaling the richest perfumes. This kind of portico was 
erected across the principal streets through which the pro- 
cession was to pass ; the roads were covered with fine sand 
and strewed with flowers ; the houses on each side were 
covered with tapestry, or gold and silver cloth. The gold- 
smiths' street displayed all that their art could produce of 
splendid and beautiful. 

The procession was opened by the banners of the differ- 
ent arts and trades of the city of Lisbon : among these 
were exhibited effigies of the saints, their particular pa- 
trons; the men who bore them were habited in tunics 
trimmed with silver. Drums and trumpets, ornamented 
with crimson cloth, preceded a cavalier in antique armour, 
followed by forty of the king's horses : these horses having 
magnificent housings, were led by esquires, richly dressed : 
then came the figure of St. George in silver armour on 
horseback, a velvet cap ornamented with diamonds formed 
his head-dress ; the saint carried a lance ; and the figure 
was so well executed that it resembled a living creature : 
then came a page on horseback richly caparisoned, and 
attended by all the suite of St. George. The trumpeters 
and drummers of the king dressed in green velvet and 
wearing white plumes closed this chivalrous procession : 
then followed the different religious and secular orders ; a 
huge silver cross gilt preceded the clergy ; immediately 
after them came knights, nobles, esquires, &c. followed by 
the whole chapter of the chapel royal walking in solemn 
procession before the magnificent canopy, under which the 
patriarch carried the Holy Sacrament; the royal family 
and attendants closed the cavalcade. The ringing of all 
the bells of the city, a salvo of musketry from the troops 

VOL. II. 17 



194 EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 

and of great guns from the fleet and the forts announced 
the departure and the return of the procession. Popular 
games and a grand illumination concluded the first day of 
a fete which lasted a whole week. 

But there has been no such splendid exhibitions in mo- 
dern times ; and, in the south of France where this fes- 
tival formerly was held with much splendour, there is now 
only a very inferior display. I will, however, show you 
a picture of one of former times as seen at A.ix in Provence. 

Mr. Oakley fetched several engravings representing the 
details of processions at Aix and Perpignan. The children 
were exceedingly amused, exclaiming altogether, '*0h, 
what droll figures !" devils and fools, and mask-dancing 
groups, and cars, and cavaliers, and hideous masks ! 

The festival of Aix, resumed Mr. Oakley, was the 
whimsical conception of Rene King of Provence, who 
instituted it in the fifteenth century. There was at that 
time a prevailing taste for farces and pantomimes, and the 
king, who delighted in these amusements, thought he was 
conferring an advantage upon religion by enlisting them in 
his service. His design was to represent the triumph of 
Christianity over Paganism. On the first day fantastic^ 
groups of the heathen deities, some in cars, some on horse- 
back, and some on foot, traversed the different streets: 
these were accompanied by satyrs, nymphs, and demons, 
interspersed occasionally by groups from the Bible ; such 
as the Israelites worshiping the golden calf, and the like. 

On the second day the heathen divinities were omitted, 
and the apostles w^ere introduced with other personages ; 
the King of Basoche, clad in a silver mantle, the abbot of 
youth, and lastly, furnished with his scythe, death closed 
the scene. The principal characters wore large masks, 
which are still preserved in the city. 



FOURTEENTH EVENING. 195 

Edw, Was this festival celebrated at Aix only, papa? 

Mr. O, The city of Aix is the only one which has 
preserved the processions instituted by King Rene, but 
throughout Provence this fete is celebrated with great so- 
lemnity. At Marseilles porticoes of flowers are erected, 
and the houses and vessels in the harbour are ornamented. 
Each mechanic appears with marks of his trade : the gar- 
deners carry tapers wound round with flowers, the 
butchers lead an ox ornamented with ribands and fiov/ers, 
children dressed like angels mingle with magistrates and 
other authorities, the sailors on board the vessels fire a 
salute, and in the villages provincial games are held. 

In this kind of spectacle the Spaniards excel ; bull- 
fighting is a perfect national passion among this people 
and the Portuguese. Although I have never partaken of 
the pleasure, which in the provinces form a part of the 
festivals of the church, I have nevertheless witnessed them ; 
and you must know, in the first place, that the Spanish 
breed of kills is very strong and vigorous. The Spaniards 
are reported in all ages to have attached great importance 
to the taming of these fierce animals, and to have honoured 
-with their particular regard those men who, by their cou- 
rage and address, successfully accomplished so perilous an 
undertaking. This doubtless gave rise to the sports known 
by the appellation of bull-fights established in the principal 
towns of Spain. 

For this purpose the Spaniards have built vast amphi- 
theatres, whose arena is the stage on which those who 
make a profession of fighting Vv^ith bulls display their 
prowess. All around the circumference are ranged the 
seats for the spectators, who sometimes assemble to the 
number of many thousands. If I recollect rightly, the 
amphitheatre of Madrid is capable of containing about 



196 EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 

twelve thonsand persons. The price of places varies con- 
siderably according as tliey are sheltered or exposed, in 
the shade or in the sun ; for these amphitheatres have no 
roofs. The spectacle takes place in the open air, and in 
broad daylight. 

A magistrate attended by two police-officers, called in 
Spanish algiiazils, presides at the theatre for the preserva- 
tion of order. 

At a signal given by the magistrate, a folding door at 
the further end of the arena opens, and the bull furiously 
issues from the den in which he has been confined. At 
the sight of the multitude by whom he is surrounded, he 
stops short and looks fiercely about him, as if seeking some 
object on which to wreak his rage. At this moment one 
of the picadores on horseback, and dressed after the an- 
cient Spanish fashions, advances from the other end of the 
arena. They are cdWed picadores, because they are armed 
only with pikes or lances. The picadore approaches slowly 
tow^ards the bull, and stops at some distance ftpm him. 
The two antagonists watch each other's motions with the 
greatest attention, and appear for some moments irresolute. 
The bull then, stooping his head, and mustering all his 
strength, shuts his eyes and rushes upon his adversary with 
the utmost impetuosity. The picadore fixed, as it were, to 
the saddle, places his lance in his rest, directs the point of 
it against the shoulder of the raging animal, and thus turns 
him another way. This manoeuvre, when executed with 
dexterity, rarely fails to produce the desired effect. Some- 
times, however, it is rendered unavailing by the fury of 
the animal, as I have myself witnessed, and which I will 
describe to you. 

One of the bulls rushed upon the lance that was pointed 
at him, and raising himself almost upright on his hind legs 



FOURTEENTH EVENING. 197 

broke it in pieces. He then attacked the horse with such 
fury as to overturn him with his rider. At this moment 
the chulos, young men of extraordinary agihty, approached 
with snq^ll cloaks or flags of glaring colours, which they 
held to the bull to divert his attention, and give the pica- 
dore time to escape. As soon as the latter had effected 
his retreat, a second picadore, armed like the first, offered 
battle to the bull. Animated by his victory, the beast im- 
mediately darted towards him; the picadore dexterously 
kept him off with his lance; but the bull returned to the 
charge before his antagonist had time to prepare, for his 
reception. With his horns he gored the sides of the horse, 
which sprung up to a considerable height, and in his fall 
overthrew his rider. The chulos then ran forward again 
to his rescue, and the first picadore took his place. He 
entered the arena on a horse which had never yet been 
engaged in a conflict of this kind, and to whom, at the 
first onset, it proved fatal. The bull, suddenly turning 
aside, avoided the lance, and gored the horse with such 
fury as to pierce him to the heart. 

It sometimes happens that the bull rips up the horse's 
belly ; the poor animals may then be seen treading under 
their feet their own bloody entrails, which hang down from 
their lacerated sides ; and yet obeying, for some time after, 
the hand which conducts them to new tortures. 

Caroline. Ah ! how can people bear to look at such a 
cruel sight ? 

Mr. O. I was at first astonished at that myself: but I 
soon remarked, that custom unfortunately hardens the. 
hearts of the spectators, and even of women, to such a de- 
gree that they behold this scene with the utmost indiffer- 
ence ; or if they manifest any interest, it is in regard to the 
motions of the enraged bull. 

17-^ 



198 



EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 



I once saw thirteen horses killed in a single morning 
and sometimes there are many more. Such is the patience, 
courage, and docility of these animals that after they are 
mortally wounded they will carry their rider to yieet the 
enemy, till they drop down dead on the spot. 

AVhen the bull, tired of seeing his adversary the picadore 
appear again after his defeat safe and sound, upon another 
horse, at length seems determined to decline the combat, 
he is left to the handerillos. These are eight young men, 
each of whom is provided wdth a number of small darts 
called by the Spaniards bcmderillas, which are ornamented 
with small streamers made of coloured paper. These they 
plunge into the bull's neck; but it is an established rule, 
that they must never attack the animal with these weapons 
from behind but always in front. 

To this end they endeavour to irritate the animal ; and 
when he is just going to dart at them, they take advantage 
of the moment when the bull stops and shuts his eyes, to 
plunge their banderillas into his neck and run away. If 
they cannot make the animal advance to meet them, they 
hold out to him the moleta, a piece of scarlet cloth or vel- 
vet, which they always carry in the left hand. They 
excite him to the pursuit by passing close to him : if he 
turns sharply upon them, they rely upon their agility to 
get out of his way. In this case, to amuse him and divert 
his attention, they drop the moleta. This artifice com- 
monly succeeds ; the bull stops, smells at the piece of stuff 
and tramples upon it. Sometimes, however, he takes no 
notice of the moleta, but, keeping his eyes fixed on his 
real enemy, pursues him so swiftly that the banderillo has 
scarcely time to leap over the barrier which surrounds the 
arena. I have seen bulls spring over it almost at the same 
moment as their adversaries, though it is six feet high. 



FOURTEENTH EVENING. 199 

Beyond this first barrier, at the distance of about five 
feet, is a second, considerably higher, for the security of 
the spectators, who were seated in front. Persons of vera- 
city have assured me, that they have seen bulls spring with 
such force as at one leap to clear these two barriers, and 
fall upon the benches of the amphitheatre. When the 
bull.has fought about twenty minutes, he is doomed to die. 
This is the most interesting moment of the spectacle ; 
accordingly the most profound silence prevails in the as- 
sembly. The master of the combatants, called matador^ 
appears, and anxious expectation is depicted in the faces 
of the spectators. He advances, holding the moleta in his 
left hand, and a sword in his right. During the whole 
combat he has attentively studied the disposition of the 
bull, and watched all his motions. If the animal is claw, 
that is to say impetuous, but not crafty, the matador ap- 
proaches with confidence, sure of a speedy victory. If, 
on the contrary, the bull is cautious and cunning, if he 
appears cool and collected, slow in forming his resolutions, 
and prompt in executing them, he is called obscuro, and 
such an animal excites apprehension in the most experi- 
enced matador. He goes up, looks steadfastly at him, and 
endeavours to provoke him ; but this attempt often proves 
vain. At the moment when he thinks to avail himself of 
an advantage, the wily animal eludes the stroke, becomes 
the assailant, and forces his enemy to fly. The latter, as 
he runs, is obliged to look behind him, that he may judge 
how to act according to circumstances. 

One of these matadors, whose name was Pepillo, dis- 
played astonishing coolness and dexterity upon these occa- 
sions. When he was once pursued, and had got close to 
the barrier, his eyes still fixed upon the bull, he observed 
that the enraged animal was just going to make a stroke at 



200 



EVENINa ENTERTAINMENTS. 



him, and at the very moment when the bull shut his eyes, 
he set his foot between the animal's horns, and thence 
sprang over the barrier ; which shows, my dears, what a 
degree of address may be acquired by practice. 

While I was in Spain, two matadors were killed at Cadiz ; 
they were brothers. The one perished by accident ; the 
other rushed into the arena to revenge his death, and fell 
victim to his imprudence. 

A skilful and experienced matador, who retains a full 
command of himself in the heat of action, knows how to 
irritate the bull in such a manner that he runs of himself 
upon the point of the sword, which forms the last scene 
of the spectacle. The fatal steel is usually aimed at the 
part of the spinal sparrow contiguous to the brain, and 
penetrates at the junction of the first vertebra to the head. 
A wound in that place is sufficient to bring the animal to 
the ground, and to despatch him without drawing a drop 
of blood. If a favourable opportunity for piercing him 
there does not occur, the matador aims at his heart. 
Death, in this case, is speedy, but not so sudden as in the 
former instance. It sometimes happens, that the most 
skilful matador does not hit the right place. One day I 
saw one of these men miss his stroke, and he was tossed 
upon the horns of the bull, which shook him twice with 
great violence before any assistance could be given him. 
His person escaped without any dangerous wound; not so 
his honour, which v/as considered to have received a stain, 
till the moment when the bull was finally vanquished, and 
the champion was able to measure his horns in his justifi- 
cation. This done, he requested the spectators to take 
notice that the horn upon w^hich he had been caught was 
two inches longer than the other. On proving this fact he 
was greeted with a general shout of applause. To show a 



FOURTEENTH EVENING. 201 

Want of address or presence of mind in these conflicts is a 
disgrace tot he matadors, who cannot retrieve their charac- 
ter except by signal acts of courage and intrepidity ; for 
you must know that these people expose themselves to 
such danger as much from motives of honour as of interest; 
and the Spanish public censure the faults committed by 
them in their way, as emphatically as bad actors are con- 
demned among us. 

When the chivalrous spirit was at its height in Spain the 
nobility entered the lists against the bull : instead of con- 
ceiving themselves dishonoured by this sport, they sought 
glory and fame in these combats. At Naples, in 1556, 
the Emperor of Germany took part in them ; three years 
after this the King of Toledo, encountered a bull and was 
wounded in the leg. 

It is wonderful that accidents are not more frequent in 
these fights, considering the length of the horns of some 
of these bulls. The tips of their horns are often five feet 
distant from one another. Whenever the bull has leaped 
over the barrier of the arena, he stamps on the ground, 
and throws up the earth furiously with his feet ; and when 
he has killed a horse, if the chulos leave him unmolested, 
he tramples upon his enemy. The moment the vanquished 
beast falls at the feet of the matador, the trumpet sounds, 
and three mules ornamented with bells and streamers come 
to drag him away. 

These bull-fights take place once a week, and frequently 
twice in summer. Eighteen victims are destined for each 
fight, six for the morning, and twelve for the afternoon. 

The expense occasioned by such a spectacle is prodigi- 
ous : the matadors receive a considerable sum, as do also 
the eight banderillos, and the two picadores. We must 
likewise include the cost of the eighteen bulls, and of per- 



202 EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 

haps sixteen or eighteen horses sacrificed at one of these 
fights. Since, however, they have ceased to select, as 
formerly, the finest animals, the expense is considerably 
diminished. 

This sanguinary spectacle forms the delight of the Spa- 
niard, the Portuguese, the Italian, and of the inhabitants of 
he south of France. An act of parliament abolished them 
in England; the popes thundered their excommunications 
against all persons who should publicly combat these ani- 
mals. But the Spaniards have an amusement which pleased 
me more than this cruel perilous sport ; the chivalrous ex- 
ercises of the Maestranzas, or associations of the young 
nobility, which have places in several of their cities. The 
knights of these various bodies unite together on certain 
festivals, dressed in splendid uniforms, and proceed by 
martial music, pikemen, and judges of the field. Lists . 
have previously been enclosed in a public place of the city: 
all being ready, the knights enter the lists, and range 
themselves in two files, and perform a variety of evolutions 
on horseback, and then proceed to exhibit mock fights: 
after this they run at the ring, throw darts at each other, 
which they receive upon their bucklers : after this shadow 
of an ancient tournament they repair to the lieutenant of 
the Maestranza, where the knights display the more court- 
ly graces of gallantry. 

If the Spaniards had preserved the industry as well as 
the chivalrous spirit of the Moors, their country would be 
the most flourishing in Europe ; but it is certain, that since 
the expulsion of that unhappy race, their commerce and 
manufactures are reduced to the lowest degree. This ac- 
tive people had changed the southern provinces of Spain 
into a delicious garden, blooming with the finest produc- 
tions of Europe. Silk, cotton, sugar, rice, pomegranates, 



FOURTEENTH EVENING. 203 

olives, lemons, oranges, &:c. rewarded the labours of the 
Arabs in the fine plains of Andalusia, and formed lucrative 
articles of commerce. 

But in these days agriculture is exceedingly neglected, 
and thcsre are whole provinces which present the appear- 
ance of a desert, from the indolence of the inhabitants. 
We have seen, however, in some of our former evenings, 
that there are people who would rather live in misery than 
better their condition by labour. It is true, these people 
are but half civilized : but is it not astonishing that even in 
Europe, where the arts, literature, and commerce have 
made such great progress, and contributed so much to the 
prosperity of several nations, there should be countries 
whose inhabitants prefer a life of indolence to all the ad- 
vantages that are to be obtained by activity and industry ? 
Those who have visited Italy and Spain must be convinced, 
that idleness still has partisans among the polished nations. 
Indolence is particularly prevalent among the inhabitants 
of Murcia in the south of Spain. Though placed under 
the finest climates of all, and in a region blessed with ex- 
traordinary fertility, they receive but little enjoyment from 
this bounty of nature ; choosing rather to loiter away their 
time in their houses, and to smoke segars, which is their 
principal occupation. The situation of their country is 
highly favourable to commerce and the exportation of the 
produce of the soil ; but they let their neighbours enrich 
themselves, and are better pleased to grow gray in poverty, 
provided they can but spend their days without any un- 
usual exertion, either mental or corporeal. As all the 
Spaniards are extremely temperate, the Murcians of the 
lower classes work very little during the summer, because 
they can then subsist, at a very trifling expense, on salads 
and fruits. Servants will even quit their places at this 



204 EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 

season of the year, because they can live without labour. 
Sleep occupies the greater part of the time of the work- 
men, and much is spent in smoking segars. The women 
partake of this indolence ; they know little, and have much 
difficulty to fill up the languid hours. From hence it 
arises that, in some provinces, the Spaniard is languid and 
even gloomy. 

Such are the baneful effects of idleness ; when once it 
takes possession of the mind, it resembles a malady which 
insensibly undermines the constitution, and renders it in- 
capable of the least exertion. 

The Spanish and Portuguese colonies in America furnish 
ample proofs of this. Labour there is considered a dis- 
grace, and the inhabitants are content to be distinguished, 
by a white skin; in fact, a white skin is considered of al- 
most as much importance as letters of nobility. Nay, in- 
stances have been known, in which a Mexican has appli- 
ed to the tribunals to obtain an attestation that he has a 
white skin. You will naturally suppose that, possessing 
such a certificate, they look upon the Mulattoes with sov- 
ereign contempt. Sometimes you may see a man without 
shoes or stockings, and in ragged clothes, riding with an 
air of self-satisfaction through the streets, because he belongs 
to the white race ; that is to say, he is descended from 
Europeans, who are used to command the services of 
others and are exempt from work. 

In the Spanish and Portuguese colonies, agriculture is, 
unfortunately, considered an ignoble employment. In 
consequence of this opinion, one may see the finest lands 
untilled, or cultivated in such a style that the poorest 
English farmer would feel indignant at contemplating them. 
Brazil, for instance, is one of the most fertile countries in 
the world; it has been gifted by nature with the richest 



FOURTEENTH EVENING. 205 

productions, the finest animals, and the most agreeable of 
climates. Notwithstanding these advantages, the Portuguese 
have neglected agriculture, and bestowed all their labour in 
search of gold and silver, diamonds and precious stones, 
A thirst for riches induces the colonists to extract these 
precious materials from the bosom of the earth ; and when 
the mines are exhausted, and their lands thus desert, they 
sink into the most abject misery. 

It is precisely in those districts most famous for their 
subterraneous treasures which present the most miserable 
aspect; while other parts of the country, where labour 
is necessary for the support of life, present a smiling and 
animated picture. In the richer provinces, strangers and 
travellers can scarcely procure the common necessaries for 
existence. 

I have spoken to you of the poverty of Peru ; the Span- 
iards who inhabit the capital display, nevertheless, the 
greatest luxury ; but this luxury seldom extends beyond 
their clothes. Their food and dwelling is sometimes mean 
enough ; but their wives are dressed in rich stuffs, laces, 
and jewels. An equipage is indispensable to them; and 
the young people perfume and dress their hair with infi- 
nite care, and pass most of their time in walking and in 
other frivolous pleasures. 

This idle propensity has multiplied the number of ne- 
groes to an astonishing degree, for the colonists themselves 
do literally nothing. I have already spoken to you of the 
misery of this unhappy race. They make the sugar, pre- 
pare the tobacco, indigo, and cotton ; it is they who work 
in the gold mines, &c. ; in short, it is from the labours of 
the negroes that w^e receive the productions of the New- 
World ; but it is their masters who alone reap the profit 
of them. But I must return to Europe. 

VOL. II. 18 



206 EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 

Ill speaking of the indolence of the Spaniards, you must, 
on no account, include the whole nation. The inhabit- 
ants of Malaga, Alicant, and Porto rival the most commer- 
cial nations, and export in large quantities the delicious 
wines of their country. In the neighbourhood of Malaga 
there are three vintages. In June the first grapes are gath- 
ered and dried, or are made into syrup. In September the 
second crop is gathered ; from this a wine is made, less 
agreeable, it is true, than that which is the product of the 
third crop, but still very good. The amount of wines and 
dried fruit which are exported is about five hundred thou- 
sand pounds. Olives abound in Spain ; but the inhabitants 
have not the art of extracting the oil skilfully, and there- 
fore lose much of the profit they might otherwise reap from 
this fruit. 

The good quality of any article of merchandise natural- 
ly brings purchasers. In Europe, commerce is carried on 
with much rivalry among its inhabitants ; every nation en- 
deavours to excel in the cultivation of its productions, and 
by the superiority of their merchandise. If one people by 
their excellence engross a particular article, that object be- 
comes, immediately, one of imitation to other nations, who 
endeavour, by the utmost exertions, to establish manufac- 
tures of the like importance, and of equal excellence, that 
they may enjoy a part of the profits of this article of com- 
merce. 

The Spaniards have felt this with regard to their wool. 
Spain is one of those countries in which the sheep pro- 
duce the finest wool in the world. The high price ob- 
tained for their fleeces for the cloth manufactures has in- 
duced the Spaniards, for a very long period of time, to be- 
stow the utmost attention on the improvement of their 
breeds of sheep, and on the maintaining of large flocks of 



FOURTEENTH EVENING. 



207 



those animals. Many proprietors have ten, twenty, forty, 
sixty thousand sheep, and even more, which form their prin- 
cipal wealth, and produce a considerable profit, if they meet 
with no accident, such as a contagious disease, an un- 
healthy season, or the like. Every flock is under the su- 
perintendence of fifty shepherds, and a chief, who is call- 
ed mayoral: the number of dogs destined to watch the 
flock is equal to that of the shepherds. As the climate of 
the heights of Estremadura and Castile has been found the 
most favourable for the sheep, the greater part of the own- 
ers send their flocks to those provinces. These wander- 
ing flocks are termed in Spanish merinos^ and the compa- 
ny of proprietors la mesta. Out of about thirteen millions 
of sheep, which Spain is computed to contain, there are at 
least five million merinos. They begin their journey at 
the end of April, or the beginning of May ; all the flocks 
then quit the plains, where they passed the winter, and 
proceed with their shepherds to the mountains of Castile 
or Estremadura: as they are driven only from twelve to 
eighteen miles a day, it takes them more than a month to 
reach the place of their destination ; for they halt several 
times to be shorn, which operation is always performed 
in the month of May. This is the most important busi- 
ness for the owner, whose profits always depend on the 
quantity and quality of the fleece ; for which reason it is 
performed by the shepherds with a kind of solemnity. 
The weather chosen for it must be fine and dry, be- 
cause the skin of the Spanish sheep is so delicate that rain 
would prove fatal to them. The shearing takes place in 
enormous buildings capable of holding sixty thousand 
sheep. They are called by the Spaniards esquileos, are 
erected by the side of the road, and appropriated exclusive- 
ly to this purpose. ^ 



208 EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 

The flocks pass all the summer on the mountain pas- 
tures, and at the begmning of autumn return to the plains. 
The shepherds never quit them ; they pass all their time 
with their flocks, and were it not for their society with 
each other, they would know more of beasts than of man. 
They are very sober, and exceedingly attached to their 
flocks. 

Gustav. Papa, have they not introduced merinos into 
France ? 

Mr. O. Yes. The fineness of the wool of these sheep 
has induced other nations to cultivate the breed, and in 
France they have succeeded ; for in that country they do 
not degenerate, and their wool is to the full as good as that 
of Spain : so that the French shortly expect to be indepen- 
dent of Spain for their fine wools. 

Is it not very surprising that the Spaniards have been 
so long satisfied with selling their wools to strangers, par- 
ticularly to the English, and purchase them again when 
manufactured into fine cloths ? During the last century, 
however, some manufactures of fine cloths were establish- 
ed in Spain, yet the greater part of their fine cloths are still 
imported from foreign countries. The Spaniards profit 
more by their silk, which is very abundant. In Valencia 
and Catalonia a great number of persons live- by the spin- 
ning and weaving of this article. Barcelona is the Lyons of 
Spain : this city is inhabited by manufacturers of silk stock- 
ings, velvets, taffetas, crapes, &:c. It is also a famous place 
for shoemakers, who supply the Indies with thousands of 
pairs of shoes. Cadiz is the grand mart for merchandise 
destined for America, and for the natural productions of 
that part of the world which are brought in return. This 
place is occupied, not by manufacturers, but speculators and 
naval men, who extend their ent^rises over the greater 



FOURTEENTH EVENING. 209 

part of the world. In time of peace, the riches which en- 
ter Cadiz are immense. All the most precious productions 
of America, gold, silver, precious stones, bark, cacao, van- 
illa, valuable woods, dyeing plants, and many other articles 
arrive in this port, and are from thence dispersed through- 
out the different countries of Europe. The ports of Lis- 
bon and Oporto in Portugal present the same busy specta- 
cle as Cadiz. 

Some of the provinces have peculiar manufactures, such 
as that of esparta in Mercia and Valencia. Esparta is a 
long and tough grass, of which they make mats, chair bot- 
toms, girts, and particularly a cordage, lighter and more 
durable than that made from hemp: cables are made of 
this grass six hundred feet long. This manufacture em- 
ploys many people in the country, men, women, and chil- 
dren. In other places they occupy themselves in strip- 
ping bark from the cork tree, with which they form corks 
for bottles, and soles for shoes. Jackets too are made of 
this light bark, which are worn by persons who are not 
good swimmers ; it is also employed in making models of 
architecture, and is particularly well calculated to represent 
ruinous buildings. At Cape Roxent in Portugal, there is a 
cork convent, 

Caroline and Gusfavus, A cork convent! 

Mr. O, Listen, and I will explain this to you. In a 
great cavern in the side of a mountain, human industry 
and ingenuity have excavated many cells, a chapel, a refec- 
tory, &;c. ; but all these apartments are lined with cork, 
above and below, and on all sides ; the tables, the beds, 
the chairs, the ornaments of the chapel, are all made of the 
same material ; so that it may well be called a cork convent. 

The northern provinces of Spain are remarkable for 
other productions. Galicia and Asturia make cloths ; Bis- 

18* 



210 EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 

cay possesses great iron mines; but they are not worked 
with that acti-vity and industry which such useful and bene- 
ficial gifts demand. 

No part of Spain is more famous in history than Granada, 
which rose to its highest prosperity under the Moors. 

Of the magnificent edifices in this province, the most 
notable are the palace of the Alhambra and Generalife, or 
pleasure house and garden of the Moorish kings. The 
Alhambra alone occupies the space of a town, and is situ- 
ated on a hill, fronting that called the Alcanaza, and sepa- 
rated from it by the rapid Darro. The ascent to the Al- 
hambra is through groves of poplars and orange-trees, 
with fountains by the road-side. The outer walls enclose 
a large area, surrounding the inner walls ; and a number 
of tanks or cisterns occupy the space between these and 
the Moorish palaces, — a congeries of buildings* chiefly 
remarkable for their interior decorations. The chambers 
are all paved with marble and ornamented with marble 
pillars, sustaining arches of pure Arabic form; they are 
adorned with stucco and with a species of porcelain which 
freshly retains its gilding after a lapse of five centuries. 
The Court of Lions, so called from the sculptures which 
adorn its fountain, has no fewer than one hundred and fif- 
ty-eight marble pillars. The hall of the Abencerrages is 
so called from the massacre of that illustrious tribe, said 
to have b'^en perpetrated here by Boabdil, the last Moor- 
ish king ot Granada. 

The common people fancy that in the alabaster basin, 
which is in the centre of the apartment, they can discover 
traces of the blood of these brave men : but the opinion of 
intelligent travellers is, that these ruddy stains are merely 
the effects of time and exposure to the air. 

* See cut on page 188. 



( 211 ) 



FIFTEENTH EVENING. 




1 ^ a1 



Mr. Oakley's children were generally assembled in the 
library ready to receive him ; but upon this evening they 
were sooner than usual, and when he entered the apart- 
ment, they were anxiously awaiting his appearance. 

** To-night," said the kind father, '' I am going to enter- 
tain you with an account of your own country. I need 
scarcely mention to you, that Great Britain is an island, 
or that its empire consists rather of two large ones, sur- 
rounded by numerous islets. Hence we are by nature a 
maritime people ; and as no other European country pos- 



212 



EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 



sesses the like advantages, we are considered by friends 
and foes the most powerful naval people in existence. 
Denmark is, indeed, a kingdom composed of many islands, 
but situated far north, and much isolated; she has 
made no great maritime efforts either to extend her terri- 
tories, or to enlarge her navy. England, on the contrary, 
lies near fertile France and industrious Holland. By 
coasting the shores of the Great Atlantic, her vessels con- 
nect the traffic of the north and south. When intestine 
wars destroyed for a time the commerce of the Low Coun- 
tries, a number of Flemish artisans found an asylum in 
England : from this period her manufactures improved so 
rapidly hat she has outstripped her instructors, and left 
them far behind her. In France alone she found a rival 
who kept pace with her, and in many articles of manufac- 
ture the latter has the advantage. But no country equals 
Great Britain in naval strength. English vessels navigate 
all seas, bearing the treasures of the world from one coun- 
try to another : our vast possessions in the two Indies and 
other colonies furnish an immense quantity of natural pro- 
ductions, which are spread over Europe, to which we must 
add our own excellent manufactures. Our mercantile com- 
panies and associations give a peculiar and enterprising 
system to our commerce. "We have .the East India Com- 
pany, Levant Company, Hanseatic Company, Russian 
Company, and the companies of Africa and Hudson's Bay: 
all these are solely occupied with the commerce and inter- 
est of the country whose name they bear. The first in 
importance is the East India Company, which has been in 
existence these two hundred years, and which enjoys the 
exclusive privilege of trading to the Asiatic possessions in 
India. The value of the merchandise whicli our vessels 
bring from that distant country amounts to from six 



1 



FIFTEENTH EVENING. 213 

millions two hundred and fifty thousand pounds, to 
eight millions three hundred and thirty-three thousand 
three hundred and thirty-three pounds. Two thousand 
merchants compose this company, each of whom have con- 
tributed to its funds by depositing in them about one 
thousand and fifty pounds: some more, but none less. 
Each person receives a benefit from it proportioned to 
his contribution. Twenty-four directors are at the head 
of this grand company. Many of the Indians, having no 
idea of such associations, imagined for a long time that 
this company was a great queen ; and very lately a deputy 
was announced to an Indian prince as *' the grandson of 
tlje Great Lady Company!" 

This little anecdote made Charles and Eliza laugh. 

Mr. O, The Hindoos are induced to think the company 
is a person, because they hear of its governor, adminis- 
trators, and military forces ; and that everything is done 
in the name of the company. From India and China the 
East India Company receive manufactured cotton goods ; 
raw silk, tea, indigo, pepper, saltpetre, sugar, medicinal 
drugs, porcelain, varnishes, (fee. 

The West India trade is not in theliands of a privileged 
company, yet it is equally flourishing with that of Asia, 
and is nearly though not quite as lucrative. Of the pro- 
duce, coffee, sugar, cotton, rum, precious woods, &c. form 
the principal part. Twelve thousand sailors are em- 
ployed in this commerce. The European nations do not 
furnish England with articles of commerce so lucrative 
as these but many far more useful. Great Britain im- 
ports from Russia, hemp, potash, iron, coarse linens, &c. 
From Denmark and Norway, wood and seed; from 
Sweden, pitch and tar, sailcloth and copper: from 
Prussia, seeds, hemp, linseed, and grindstones : from 



214 EVExVtNG ENTERTAINMENTS. 

Holland, butter, cheese, ^flax, hemp, corks, pictures, 
juniper berries, which, however trifling they may appear, 
form an important branch of trade. The Dutch procure 
them very much from foreign countries ; in the neigh- 
bourhood of Coblentz they are grown and exported in large 
quantities. 

Eliza, What use do they make of juniper berries? 

Mr, O, Gin, or hollands, is distilled from them ; they 
are also employed medicinally in fumigations, particularly 
on board ship, where it is of great importance frequently 
to purify the air. The English import from Spain and 
Portugal, wines, brandy, dried fruits, cork, wool, and other 
productions of those countries. From the coast of Africa 
we receive gums, ivory, and ebony. 

You would naturally suppose, perhaps, that a consi- 
derable commerce exists between France and England; 
but besides the" spirit of rivalry which subsists between 
them, and which has caused so many wars, industry being 
the characteristic of both nations, the exchange of a few 
productions is all that takes place between them. It is 
not so with other countries, where the English merchan- 
dise is generally prized above all others ; and the net ad- 
vantage England receives may be valued at about ten 
million pounds sterling. England possesses about sixteen 
thousand mercantile vessels of different sizes ; which, 
upon an average, give employment to about sixteen thou- 
sand sailors. In war time, the regular navy occupies as 
many on board about eight hundred and fifty vessels ; the 
expense of such a navy is enormous ; and of that of its 
construction you may form a guess, when I tell you that 
two thousand trees are employed in building one large man 
of war. A vessel of this kind resembles a castle, so vast 
and solid is it. 



FIFTEENTH EVENING. 215 

The exportation and importation of merchandise upon 
the Thames in London, employ three thousand five hun- 
dred English and foreign vessels, without counting a num- 
ber of smaller craft, equally engaged in the transport of 
goods. Nothing can be imagined grander than the esta- 
blishments at Portsmouth, Plymouth, and other ports 
where vessels are built and equipped. They are cities 
where thousands of people are actively employed. Here 
may be seen large docks in which ships are refitted ; 
there anchors are forged ; in other places enormous cal- 
drons of boiling pitch may be seen : in other buildings 
cables are made ; in others again breweries are carried on. 
Thousands of workmen are industriously employed for the 
outward bound commerce. The cities of England resem- 
ble large workshops and great magazines. Upon entering 
them, strangers are dazzled by the magnificent whole, and 
are too much occupied to examine their details. The 
constant whirl of so many persons passing and repassing, 
each appearing to fear the loss of a single moment ; the 
great worlishops, filled with men, women, and children ; 
such a variety of all kinds of machinery ; the rich maga- 
zines and splendid shops, in which thousands of curious 
and useful objects are exposed to view: all these united 
present a spectacle, as satisfactory as astonishing, to the 
man of observation. Indeed what can be so gratifying as 
the contemplation of so many chef d'oeuvres of genius or 
of mind? so many astonishing inventions; so many things 
in short, destined for the convenience, the luxury, and the 
diverse commodities of life. In rambling about the streets 
of London, one would suppose that the spirit of industry 
and invention must be exhausted; and that the arts and 
manufactures had reached the climax of perfection ; and 
yet on the morrow, a crowd of new objects present them- 



216 EVENING ENTERTAINTENTS. 

selves to the gazer's eye ; and on the following day his de- 
lighted vision rests on new and more excellent productions. 

The commercial spirit is common to all classes of so- 
ciety in England : the most distinguished persons disd^^u 
not to inform themselves of the invention and progress of 
mechanics ; and even make them the subject of their con- 
versation. All ranks interest themselves in the political oc- 
currences of foreign ports, and this arises from their influ- 
ence upon trade. The gazettes are eagerly read even in 
villages far from the capital. The merchants and trades- 
people are constantly actuated by speculative projects ; and 
when the fortune of one man is not sufficient to carry his 
designs into effect, he associates himself with a partner. 
At a glance they seem to embrace the different ports of the 
globe ; and they choose with discernment those countries 
which offer the most inviting prospects to their under- 
takings. Their ships frequent all friendly countries, and 
traverse the most distant seas. This commercial spirit is i 
not confined to the towns ; there are villages in England 
which carry on a trade as great as that of many towns of 
the continent. 

Many of these mechanics begin their day at three or four 
in the morning, and finish it at nine .or ten at night. 
During these hours of labour, they allow themselves only 
time to eat their frugal meal of bread and cheese, and 
beer. This life of close application is however prejudicial 
to their health, and they are for the most part pale, small, 
and thin. The same trade is generally transmitted from 
father to son ; and there are houses and establishments in 
different parts, which have for many generations enjoyed 
the public confidence, and still continue to enjoy it by 
the probity which presides over their operations. That 
which is admirable in the English character is the encou- 



I 



FIFTEENTH EVENING, 



217 



ragement which people of fortune give to the labouring 
classes ; and the niean^ they resort to are sufficiently in- 
genious. 

In some counties, county balls are given; all persons 
who take part in these are obliged, men as well as women, 
to clothe themselves in silk stuffs, fabricated in the county. 
And each person is compelled to produce a certificate 
from a weaver, manufacturer, or dyer, certifying that it w^as 
purchased from them. Sometimes, at court festivals, orders 
are issued that every one shall appear in the manufacture 
of his or her country. 

Formerly, prizes were given to the best spinners, by the 
principal lady of the village ; and from twenty to thirty, or 
even forty of the young country girls repaired to the lawn 
in front of the great house with their wheels. Having 
taken their seats in a circle, in the centre of which were 
placed the prizes, a rural band gave the signal for the 
commencement of their skill, when every wheel began to 
turn. With eyes intently riveted on their wheels, they 
pursued their occupation, for the prize was given to the 
best and quickest spinner. At the end of an hour the 
music stopped, and the wheels immediately stood still ; 
the prizes were then distributed, and refreshments offered : 
after which a dance on the green, in which the master 
and mistress of the mansion, with their guests, generally 
took a part. 

Caroline, I wish, papa, this custom was in fashion in 
our county. 

Mr, 0, The establishment of such diversions, so long 
as they are divested of show and pageantry, would be 
very desirable no doubt. 

Prizes are also given to the best ploughers. The la- 
bourers assemble at one end of a fallow field, havinor 

VOL. II. 19 



218 EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 

before them their ploughs and oxen, or horses. At a given 
signal all their ploughs start, and tui:n one or two furrows, 
according to the plan laid down. Those who stand by 
as spectators generally bet upon the different candidates. 
The plough which first returns to the starting place, pro- 
vided the work be best done, obtains the prize. The 
Scotch farmers in particular, often meet in these friendly 
contests ; there was a meeting of this kind held at Oxford 
some time since : ten of the candidates were Scotch, and 
ten English; each party was animated by more than 
common feelings, since they both conceived the honour of 
their country to be at stake. The judges allowed that the 
English performed well, but the Scotch better. A cele- 
brated English author, named Arthur Young, who travelled 
over many parts in order to ascertain the best method of 
agriculture, invented a new plough, which he thought so 
superior to all others, that he challenged all the husband- 
men in his county to meet upon a certain day in order to 
prove it. Judges were appointed, who marked out the 
ground which should serve as a kind of area for the ex- 
hibition. Six good ploughs were brought, and admitted 
as candidates for superiority; they were harnessed with 
four horses, while that of ]Mr. Young was drawn by two 
oxen only : notwithstanding this difference, Young had 
performed the operation first ; his furrows were also 
proved to be deeper and straighter. Every body was 
therefore compelled to acknowledge that his plough stood 
unrivalled. 

In the year 1813, a landholder, near Cork, gave an 
agricultural fete, such as was never given in any other 
country; three hundred and forty-seven ploughs were as- 
sembled in his grounds which covered one hundred and 
twelve acres. At ten o'clock in the morning all these 



FIFTEENTH EVENING. 219 

ploughs began to move, and an hour after twelve all his 
fields were ploughed. In order to recompense the hus- 
bandmen for their labour, he gave them a handsome 
repast; twelve hundred men, women and children, were 
regaled at his expense ; there were besides, seven hundred 
and forty guests, who were all entertained sumptuously. 
Several bands of music played at intervals ; and the enter- 
tainment concluded with a ball. Many noblemen invite 
their friends to their seats in the summer, who visit the 
-farms, inspect the flocks, the ploughs, the cattle, the uten- 
sils, and machines employed in agriculture. Prizes are 
given to those farmers who have distinguished themselves, 
and they afterwards dine with their Lord and his friends. 
But the spirit of industry has fixed its permanent abode 
at Birmingham, one of the largest manufacturing towns in 
the world. A population of more than sixty thousand 
souls is there employed in various ways. The most in- 
genious machinery is there put in motion to perform all 
kinds of work in iron, steel, and other metals, from the 
finest kinds even to the coarsest; buttons of all kinds, steel 
watch chains, all kinds of tools, snuff boxes, buckles, 
plate, medals, &c., and a thousand other objects: machines 
for copying letters, carriage wheels, nay, whole carriages 
made of iron. Among the machines, that for coining cop- 
per money, and which is worked by a water mill, is most 
distinguished. It strikes thirty or forty thousand coins in an 
hour. The other parts of this wonderful machine beat the 
copper into sheets, polish them, cut them, place them, one 
after another under the press ; and what is still more re- 
markable, they mark the number of pieces which are 
struck, so that the workmen cannot secret any without 
discovery. 

This machine is a real master-piece of mechanism. The 



220 EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 

magazines of Soho cover a hill facing this town: here then 
the workshops and houses of the proprietors add to the 
effect, which is certainly the finest in the world. 

The position of Birmingham has much contributed to 
develope its w^onderful industry. From the mines in its 
neighbourhood, the manufacturers procure coal in abun- 
dance for the founding of their metal ; it is situated almost 
in the centre of England ; and by means of canals, it readily 
conveys its manufactures to London, Bristol, and other sea- 
ports, from whence great quantities are shipped for differ- 
ent parts of the world. 

Everything which is worked in steel and iron is carried 
to the greatest perfection. It was in our own country that 
the first iron bridge was made, in the year 1779. It 
crosses the Severn at Colebrook Dale, and is composed of 
a single arch, the cord of which measures a hundred feet. 
This invention has been imitated in France. The '^ Pont 
des^rts,"*^ in Paris, is also composed of iron, but it con- 
sists of several arches. Other countries which are not so 
amply supplied with metals, have constructed wooden 
bridges with several arches : but at Bavaria, in Germany, 
many have been constructed with one arch only, one hun- 
dred feet v>'ide. 

In no country, except in Holland, is the earth so valua- 
ble as in England. The system of agriculture has been 
carried to the highest pitch of perfection by our country- 
men. Our sheep produce a w^ool, little inferior to that of 
Spain ; yet its consumption is so great, that we import an- 
nually from four to six thousand quintals of this valuable 
article. 

In the fabrication of cotton we excel all the other nations 
of Europe, and to it we are greatly indebted for our pros- 
perity. Yet it is only since the middle of the last centu- 



FIFTEENTH EVENING. 221 

ry that this manufacture has attained such perfection. In 
1750, twenty thousand persons only found occupation in 
the spinning and weaving of cotton ; but the prospect is 
now far different. Manufactories, resembling palaces, rise 
on every side : the most ingenious machines spin an enor- 
mous quantity of cotton; weavers, dyers, printers, are 
every where occupied in some branch of this valuable 
manufacture. The commercial cities export vast quanti- 
ties of cotton goods. To the invention of machines this 
happy change may be attributed ; spinning by hand was a 
tedious operation. A common workman, named Hargrave, 
was the first person w^ho invented a spinning machine ; 
but as he was poor, and was ignorant of mechanics, his 
first essay was very imperfect ; it had eight spindles, after 
this, he made one with twelve. His idea was soon ap- 
preciated and improved, and finally brought to perfection ; 
and these Spinning Jennies, as they are called, were at 
length made with sixty spindles. 

The people, who are easily alarmed, imagined these 
machines would deprive them of their bread, and they rose 
tumultuously and destroyed several frames. Their blind 
fury compelled Hargrave to flee from their brutality. But 
new machines were formed, and the work people were at 
last convinced of their utility, and eagerly sought employ- 
ment where they were used, and they became daily more 
numerous. In 1787, there were in England twenty thou- 
sand seven hundred Jennies, and one hundred and forty- 
three cotton mills. Another workman, named Arkwright, 
improving upon the idea of Hargrave, made machines in- 
finitely more complex and more powerful, which were in- 
stantly adopted everywhere. The inventor realized a large 
fortune, and was made a knight. There is a model of this 
machine in the conservatory of arts and trades at Paris. 

19* 



222 



EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 



Gustav, I recollect seeing it, papa ; it is a great machine 
with a cylinder, having an infinite number of bobbins, and 
at the bottom are many buckets to receive the cotton as it 
is wound by these bobbins ; the rest of the machinery was 
so complicated that I could not comprehend it. 

Mr, O. I believe you ; we must see it at work to un- 
derstand its parts thoroughly. Another machine has been 
invented in England, called a 7mde, which unites the pro- 
perties of both the machines I have described. A pound 
of cotton can be spun so fine by this machine, that a single 
pound produces three hundred and fifty skeins, which 
would, when unwound, extend to one hundred and sixty- 
seven thousand English miles. 

When spinning was thus perfectioned, weaving began 
also to improve; and with much success Indian goods, 
such as calicoes and muslins, were imitated. Their light- 
ness and cheapness soon rendered them a favourite cloth- 
ing among the English and other people, and the conse- 
quence of this was, that many manufactories were esta- 
blished, particularly in Lancashire, where calicoes were 
first made. The number of persons employed in this ma- 
nufacture is very great; of this you will be able to judge, 
when I tell you one hundred thousand children are occu- 
pied in its dififerent branches. 

Caroline, Whenever I put on a muslin dress in future, 
I shall always think, with peculiar interest, that I owe it 
partly to the labour of childhood. 

Mr, O, That innocent age often furnishes us with ob- 
jects of necessity or luxury. 

But the English have accomplished wonders by means of 
coal, which is so abundant that they export great quantities 
of it. Upon the rivers Tyne and Were, sixty-four thou- 
sand workmen find support in mining. The most ingeni- 



FIFTEENTH EVENING. 223 

ous machinery is employed to discover the strata of coal, 
to raise it from the bottom of the mines to the surface of 
the earth, or to transport it into the barges which are to 
convey it to the distant ports. In 1757, the Duke of 
Bridgewater conceived the idea of constructing a canal 
from the interior of his mines at Worsley, to the environs 
of Worcester, to facilitate the transport of coal. The exe- 
cution of his plan excited astonishment, for it passes over 
a beautiful river upon arches. But not content with the 
facility which canals afford in the transport of coal, " iron 
rail-v/ays" have been constructed, having on each side a 
deep groove or rut, into which the wheels of the carriage 
are fitted, and where the road descends, the coals are con- 
veyed by means of machines without horses. Some of 
these " rail-ways" extend five or six miles. In the coun- 
ties of-Derby, Lancaster, and Lincoln, they are much used, 
in order to save the expense of carriage as much as possi- 
ble ; these roads are always made partly sloping when they 
are short; so that one horse can draw forty-nine quintals; 
but as I have already hinted, horses are in some instances 
not wanted at all; the machine is put in motion, and away 
it goes as if self-moved. 

The children were much amused at this description, but 
thought at the same time, that Mr. Oakley was but joking; 
he, however, assured them, that he had himself seen these 
vehicles, heavily laden with peat, moving along apparently 
without the assistance of man or beast. 

These machines move by steam ; you will hardly credit 
to what an extent the use of this powerful, yet at first tri- 
fling vapour is applied by us. With steam-engines we 
thresh corn and churn butter ; pound dyeing woods, spin 
and weave cotton, wool, and linen, embroider muslin, saw 
wood, cut crystals, print newspapers, coin money, &c. 



224 EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 

It is not therefore surprising that they should supply the 
place of the brute creation. Such machines often perform 
the work of a hundred men and as many horses. In one 
of the principal breweries of London, everything is per- 
formed by steam. It transports malt into the canals which 
are connected with immense vats, twenty feet in diameter; 
it brews the beer, and when it is made, it pours it into 
casks, and the casks se^-moved travel to the place ap- 
pointed them, where drays are ready to receive them. 
From beginning to the end of this process all is in motion ; 
an invisible power here presides without trouble, without 
precipitation, without noise. The breweries of London 
are constructed upon a gigantic plan. The boilers of one 
of them will contain three thousand hogsheads, and the 
smallest eight hundred. It brews annually two hundred 
and fifty thousand hogsheads. In the year 1797, a ball 
was given to the Duki3 of Wurtemburg in one of these 
vats ; and a few years ago, one of these machines burst at 
a moment when it was full of beer ; the liquid threw down 
walls, drowned several persons, and flooded the neighbour- 
ing parts. 

An ingenious man of the United States, named Fulton, 
has applied the use of steam to the navigation of vessels, 
and the English have profited by this invention. Former- 
ly it would have seemed strange that steam should be so 
powerful as to force boats up against the current of streams 
and rivers. These vessels contain a whole steam appara- 
tus, which forces round large wheels ; these, acting upon 
the water, impel the vessel on against wind and tide. 
As coal is as plentiful in the United States as in England, 
the Americans have steamboats upon all their lakes and 
rivers, where they are of the greatest importance to navi- 
gation and commerce. Many of them are fitted up with 



FIFTEENTH EVENING. 225 

pretty rooms for passengers. The Mississippi, in Louisi- 
ana, has a very long and rapid course, yet the steam vessels 
work up from the distance of about five hundred leagues 
in twenty days. The largest of these vessels, one hun- 
dred and twenty-six feet long, can transport seven hundred 
bales of cotton and one hundred travellers. You will easily 
imagine what advantage it must be to commerce to have 
such a convenient mode of conveyance. 

All the principal towns of the United States have, by 
the means of these vessels, the easiest possible communi- 
cation. But England has applied steam to large vessels, 
so that when the wind fails they can still go . on. In 
France too steam is applied to navigation. 

Coal has been converted to another use, the lighting of 
streets and public buildings by gas. By consuming coal 
in the fire, a gas is procured, which is conveyed by pipes 
to the difierent places which are to be lighted with it. A 
light being applied to it, it kindles and produces the most 
brilliant effect. Not only London, but many other towns 
are lighted by it. 

The genius of mankind is astonishing: and it is no- 
where more beneficial in its efiects than in overcoming the 
dangers of the sea. The benevolent and ingenious disco- 
veries of many Englishmen for this purpose, have been 
largely rewarded by the nation ; this you will say was 
but justice, but there are instances upon record, in which 
useful discoveries have been proscribed, and very frequent- 
ly neglected. The cork jackets I have already mentioned: 
at Tynemouth, a large sum was ofiered for the invention of 
a boat which could weather a stormy sea, and thus rescue 
the poor shipwrecked mariners. Mr. Greathead having ob- 
served that a round ball being cut in quarters, and that these 



226 EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 

quarters, when thrown upon the water, always retained 
their proper position, constructed a boat as nearly of that 
shape as possible, judging that the principle, upon which 
the former acted would influence the latter. His plan suc- 
ceeded, and hundreds of persons are indebted to him for 
their lives. 

Thus you see, my children, what essential benefits may 
result from the observation of the most trifling subjects. 
Other inventions have been made with equal success for 
efiecting the same benevolent purpose. A Captain Manby 
has invented a mortar, by means of which, a great cable is 
thrown from the coast to a vessel at a distance, the one 
extremity being well fastened to the shore. The project 
answered, and parliament voted a considerable sum as a 
reward to Captain Manby. 

The English have gready increased the value of many 
animals. Their horses, for instance, are the fleetest cour- 
sers in Europe ; they are most carefully attended to, and 
much emulation exists between the owners of these noble 
animals. For this purpose horse-races have been esta- 
blished, at which large prizes are distributed. These pub- 
lic races, which are held chiefly at Newmarket, and which 
are the rendezvous of the fashionable world, have so much 
utility that they have been established elsewhere. Races 
are held in the Champ de Mars at Paris ; but these are 
not carried on with the same spirit and interest as they are 
in England, where horse-racing is a passion. They have 
for many ages been national sports with us, protected and 
encouraged by our kings, who bestowed certain prizes 
upon the victors. 

You never were at a horse-race, my dears : that is 
another diversion almost exclusively confined to this coun- 
try. It is impossible for one who has never seen English 



FIFTEENTH EVENING. 227 

horses run on such an occasion to form any idea of their 
swiftness. Childers, the most celebrated racer of his time, 
is universally allowed to have been the fleetest horse ever 
bred in this country. It has been asserted, that he ran a 
mile over Newmarket race-course in a minute, but actually 
performed that distance in a minute and a few seconds. 
At Newmarket there are two courses ; the first being seven 
thousand four hundred and twenty yards, or upwards of 
four miles ; and the second six thousand six hundred and 
forty yards. The former was run by Childers in seven 
minutes and a half, and the latter in six minutes and forty 
seconds, which is at the rate of more than forty-nine feet 
in a second. 

At a race, several horses are made to start together, and 
to run twice or thrice over a certain space, which is deno- 
minated the course. The animals themselves seem in- 
spired with a high degree of emulation : they wait impa- 
tiently for the signal for starting, and exert themselves to 
the utmost to outstrip their competitors. Great care is 
taken to prevent these horses from acquiring too much 
flesh, which would be injurious to their speed; they are 
kept rather lean than fat, and yet they all look very well. 
Their skin being very delicate, they are kept constantly co- 
vered with cloths to promote perspiration, and to increase 
their activity. 

Each horse is ridden by a jockey, who is in training 
for the race a considerable time before hand, that he may be 
as light as possible. His dress is also remarkably light ; 
and, before the race, all the riders with their saddles, which 
are extremely small, are weighed ; and if one of them be 
found lighter than the rest, so much lead is put into his 
pockets as makes his weight equal to that of his antago- 
nists; for it is calculated, that in running four miles. 



228 EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 

seven pounds make the difference of a distance, as it is 
called, of two hundred and forty yards, between horses of 
equal goodness. Instead of seating himself on the saddle, 
the jockey stands in the stirrups, and touches the horse 
with his thighs only, which he presses close to the ani« 
mal's sides. 

Eliza, Are these jockeys well paid? 

Mr, O, Commonly about ten pounds if they win the 
prize, and only fiwe if they lose it. They are generally 
young men ; but some of them are more advanced in years, 
and pursue this disagreeable occupation to the end of their 
lives. 

Charles, Indeed I should not like to be a jockey : how 
many tumbles they must get ! 

Mr, O, Accidents of that kind very seldom happen, 
because the horses are so perfectly accustomed to the 
sport ; but the velocity with which they cut the air is lia- 
ble to prove injurious to their riders, though the motion 
communicated to the air by the continual action of their 
arms in using the whip, enables them to breathe more 
freely. Their very caps are so shaped, as not only to 
protect them from the sun, but likewise to cut the air 
with the greater facility. 

Numerous spectators are ranged outside the barriers, 
and frequently a crowd of horsemen follow the racers, 
hooting and hallooing with all their might. Bets are laid 
upon different horses, and large sums are lost in a few 
minutes; whole fortunes are sometimes thus squandered. 
About a month before the races commence, the public 
journals announce the horses which are to run, to whom 
they belong, and how the public opinion stands, by naming 
the bets which are taken upon the different horses. The 
races of the Calmucks are not considered of such impor- 



riFTEENTH EVENING. 229 

tance as those of England, where they are pursued with 
an ardour bordering upon madness. Isolated on every 
side, the English nation is not so polished as many others ; 
yet its inhabitants, with all their rudeness, possess an 
originality of character peculiar to themselves, tinctured 
with some remains of the barbarous customs of their 
ancestors. 

For instance, they delight in cockfighting, and bet as 
eagerly upon these little animals as upon horse-racing, fur- 
nishing them with steel spurs, and exciting them to the 
combat by every possible means. 

Caroline. Ah! how I pity the poor cocks who fall into 
their hands. 

Mr. O. Truly, I think with you, that well educated 
people might find better amusement than cockfighting. 
Formerly these combats were real spectacles, the puerility 
of which contrasted finely with the serious character of the 
English nation. An Italian, who visited London in the 
seventeenth century, describes them with much minute- 
ness, the repetition of which would afi'ord you but little 
amusement; I shall, therefore, merely say, the cocks cho^ 
sen for this sport come from India ; they are called game 
cocks, and are vigorous, proud, and warlike, if you will 
permit such an expression applied to a bird. The educa- 
tion of these poor animals is an affair of importance in the 
eyes of the amateurs of this sad spectacle. They even 
sometimes make a mystery of their manner of feeding and 
training them. 

This amusement is not, however, confined to England ; 
in several o.f the villages in Provence and Picardy, it is 
pursued with as much ardour as by the English. 

But there is another kind of sanguinary amusement 
which forms the delight of the common people of England ; 

VOL. II. 20 



230 EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 

I mean boxing. Bodily strength and the spirit of defence 
or revenge always meet with admirers among the lower 
classes. But these must be openly carried into effect ; they 
disdain perfidy and stratagem, they demand bravery, nottrea- 
son. In England, where the people are so frank and open 
that their conduct often degenerates into rudeness, the use 
of the stiletto is unknown, and the bare mention of this 
weapon, as a mode of revenge, excites the liveliest indigna- 
tion. Their quarrels are decided by the use of their fists. 
There are many ludicrous anecdotes which have resulted 
from this English passion for boxing, and the independence 
and freedom with which each man in England has a right 
to defend himself, when he imagines he is insulted even by 
persons of the first distinction : I will relate one or two of 
them.''^ When the famous Marshal Saxe, a man of extra- 
ordinary strength, was in London, he was challenged in 
the street by a scavenger, who fancied himself insulted, 
because the marshal as he passed him happened to jostle 
against his arm. The marshal accepted the challenge, and 
the scavenger instantly began to strip ; no sooner had he 
done so, than the marshal taking him by the shoulders 
threw him into his cart, which was full of mud, to the 
no small amusement of all the by-standers. In 1789, I 
witnessed a scene not less diverting. Two men, having 
quarreled, at length resolved to box it out. To make the 
more sure of hitting each other, these fellows, after strip- 
ping, got into two deep hogsheads, placed close to each 
other in the street, so that nothing but their heads and 
shoulders could be seen : and in this posture they fought 



* The translator has greatly curtailed Mr. Depping's minute ac- 
coi^nt of the art, or rather science of boxing, as too well known to 
excite interest in an English reader. 



FIFTEENTH EVENING. 



231 



with the greatest fury for above a quarter of an hour. On 
another occasion, a jackass-driver offered to box with a 
man of distinction, who had affronted him, and he staked 
his ass and his load of vegetables on the issue of the con- 
test. The gentleman, on his part, deposited the value of 
the ass and his burden, and the battle began. After seve- 
ral rounds the ass-driver was obliged to give in : the con- 
querer sold the ass, and distributed the money among the 
poor. 

Gustav, Of all the great men our country has produced 
whom do you consider the greatest? 

Mr* O, Greatness is a very indefinite term : and in or- 
der to use it with accuracy, we must limit its application. 
If you were to inquire who was the greatest philosopher, 
I should reply, Bacon. I should call Shakspeare the great- 
est writer, Marlborough the greatest warrior, and Crom- 
well the greatest sovereign. 

Gustav. Cromwell ! I am astonished to hear you say 
so. Was he not a usurper, and a tyrant? Did he not 
enter the hall of legislation with a file of soldiers and dis- 
miss the representatives of the people,* after having caused 
the death of the king? 

Mr. O. Oh, yes. That is all true, and a great deal more. 
But where do you find in the long line of British sove- 
reigns one who, take him all in all displayed the same con- 
summate abilities as Cromwell. The famous panegyric of 
Cowley, so far from being an exaggerated picture, is no 
more than the sober truth. 

Gustav. I never saw the passage in Cowley. 

Mr. O. Give me my common-place book from the book- 
shelves, and I will read it to you. Here it is. 

* See cut on page 211. 



232 EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 

*^ What can be more extraordinary than that a person of 
private birth and education, no fortune, no eminent quali- 
ties of body, which have sometimes — nor of mind, which 
have often — raised men to the highest dignities, should have 
the courage to attempt, and the abilities to execute so great 
a design, as the subverting one of the most ancient and best 
established monarchies in the world ? That he should have 
the power and boldness to put his prince and master to an 
open and infamous death ? Should banish that numerous 
and strongly allied family? Cover all these temerities un- 
der a seeming obedience to a parliament, in whose service 
he pretended to be retained ? Trample, too, upon that par* 
liament, in their turn, and scornfully expel them, as soon 
as they gave him ground of dissatisfaction ? Erect in their 
place the dominion of saints, and give reality to the most 
visionary idea, which the heated imagination of any fana- 
tic was ever able to entertain ? Suppress again that mon- 
ster in its infancy, and openly set up himself above all 
things that ever were called sovereign in England ? Over- 
come first all his enemies by arms, and all his friends af- 
terwards by artifice '^. Serve all parties patiently for awhile, 
and command them all victoriously at last? Overrun each 
corner of the three nations, and subdue with equal facility, 
both the riches of the South, and the poverty of the North? 
Be feared and courted by all foreign princes, and be adopt- 
ed a brother to the gods of the eartli ? Call together par- 
liaments with a word of his pen, and scatter them again with 
the breath of his mouth ? Reduce to subjection a warlike 
and discontented nation, by means of a mutinous army? 
Command a mutinous army, by means of factious and se- 
ditious officers ? Be humbly and daily petitioned, that he 
would be pleased, at the rate of millions a year, to be hired 
as master of those who had hired him before to be their 



FITTEENTH EVENING. 233 

servant ? Have the estates and lives of three nations as much 
at his disposal as was once the little inheritance of his fa- 
ther, and be as noble and liberal in the spending of them ? 
And, lastly (for there is no end of enumerating every par- 
ticular of his glory,) with one word, bequeath all this pow- 
er and splendour to his posterity ? Die possessed of peace 
at home and triumph abroad? Be buried among kings, and 
with more than regal solemnity ; and leave a name behind 
him, not to be extinguished but with the whole world, 
which," as it was too little for his praise, so might it have 
been for conquests, if the short line of his mortal life could 
have been stretched out to the extent of his immortal de- 
signs. 



20^ 



( 234 ) 



SIXTEENTH EVENING. 




Mr, O, The Scotch have a gymnastic game, more whole- 
some and more agreeable than those of the English which 
I have just described; it is called "The Game of Golf," 
and is commonly played on extensive plains or links, the 
surface of which, though generally level, is occasionally 
interrupted by ruts and hillocks tufted with furze or long 
grass. Two round holes, about six inches in diameter, and 
from four to eight feet deep, are made at certain distances 
on a right line; the distances between these holes vary 
from two to six hundred yards. The golfers all wear a short 
loose jacket, and provide themselves with slender clubs to 
strike the balls, made of very hard flexible wood, three or 
four feet long, according to the stature of the player. One 
end is thicker than the other, rather crooked, and has lead 
run into it, to make it heavy and increase the force of the 
stroke. The player lays hold of this club with both hands, 
raises it over his head, and as it descends strikes the ball, 



SIXTEENTH EVENING. 235 

which is made of very hard leather, stuffed with feathers : 
it is commonly an inch and three quarters in diameter, and 
w^eighs about two ounces. Each party has a ball, and 
those who play together strive by turns to drive the ball 
from the spot where it lies as far as they can. The ob- 
ject of the game is, to send this ball into a certain hole 
with the fewest strokes. Thus the party who puts the ball 
into the hole at five strokes beats another which accom- 
plishes it with six or seven, or more. If the number of 
strokes is equal on both sides, neither can claim the advan- 
tage. In this manner the game continues till all the holes 
are filled. The number of players on each side must be 
equal. There may be two, four, six, and even eight on a 
side ; but let the parties be as numerous as they will, they 
never use more than two balls. 

You will easily perceive, that to play well at this game, 
a person must possess several essential qualities. In the 
first place, it requires great strength and dexterity to drive 
the ball to a great distance, especially if there are players 
in the opposite party who, as I have seen, will with a 
single blow, send the ball upwards of a hundred yards. 
In the next place it requires skill in measuring the strength 
of the stroke, and applying it in such a direction as to lay 
the ball in smooth ground whence it may be easily moved, 
and also to drive it, when near the hole, just into it and 
no further; for a little too much force may defeat the 
object, and give the advantage to the opposite party. 
This is the most interesting moment of the game. The 
Scotch in general pursue this sport with incredible ardour ; 
they are animated with the highest degree of emulation, 
and are consequently proficients in this game, which gives 
them an opportunity of displaying their address, at the 
same time that it afibrds them a wholesome exercise. I 



236 EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 

have seen old men of seventy drive a ball at five or six 
strokes from one hole to another, at the distance of four 
hundred and fifty yards. I tried to do the same, but 
found to my shame, and amidst the laughter of the other 
players, that the fifteenth stroke left me a good way from 
the mark, I afterwards practised very often; and the 
more dexterity I acquired, the more pleasure and interest 
I took in the diversion. I can assure you that there are 
few games which seem to me better adapted to all ages 
than this ; for it may be played more or less briskly as 
you please. The players have an opportunity of show- 
ing their strength and skill without being obliged to 
fatigue themselves ; so that the Scotch amuse themselves 
at it from eight to eighty years of age. On their return 
to the town, the golfers frequently enter into long dis- 
cussions respecting the strokes they have given ; defend- 
ing themselves from the reproach of having caused their 
party to lose the game, or suffered their attention to be 
diverted from it by the raillery of their adversaries, who 
usually employ this method to disconcert the opposite 
party. The rich, who in every country love to distinguish 
themselves by luxury, have introduced it into this game 
also. Some of them are attended to the links by a servant, 
carrying seven or eight clubs, each of which has a different 
kind of end, for taking the ball as it lies in the grass, in 
wheel-ruts, and in every possible situation. Considerable 
prizes are frequently offered for the winners, and thou- 
sands of guineas are betted on a diversion in which in- 
terested motives ought to have no place. The pleasure of 
having won, and amused themselves with their friends, 
ought to satisfy the players. In no game whatever can I 
approve of playing for money. But the speculative genius 
of the English enters into most of their amusements. 



SIXTEENTH EVENING. 237 

There is no country under heaven where individuals 
interest themselves more in the sufferings of their fellow 
creatures than in England. Perhaps it is even to their 
commercial spirit we owe the establishment of those useful 
associations which are so numerous in the British isles. 
When a charitable end is to be attained, a subscription 
is opened; the friends of humanity contribute to it accord- 
ing to their means and inclinations, and in this way sums 
are procured large enough to found schools and hospitals, 
to recompense a man who has employed his feeble means 
in essays of public utility, or to reward the warrior who 
has spilled his blood in the service of his country. There 
are societies for the assistance of infirm schoolmasters, 
authors, actors, for supporting orphans, for instructing 
those young people whom vice joined to ignorance, has 
unfortunately conducted into the different houses of cor- 
rection for various misdemeanors; in short, the objects of 
British charity are so numerous that, were I to enumerate 
them all, I should but v/eary you. One of these, however, 
I cannot help describing, the arrangement of which is a 
model of order and economy. Christ's hospital is one of 
the best organized establishments in London. About twelve 
hundred children are here supported and instructed in 
writing, arithmetic, Latin, Greek, and navigation: atten- 
tion is generally paid to their inclinations as to their future 
choice in life; they wear a long blue robe and yellow 
stockings. Once a year the Lord Mayor of London visits 
the hospital ; and, after having assisted at divine service in 
the church of the establishment, he repairs with the go- 
vernor to the great hall, and there two of the children pro- 
nounce a discourse, the one in Latin the other in English. 
He who speaks in Latin, is sent the following year to Ox- 
ford or Cambridge, where he continues his studies at the 



238 EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 

expense of the hospital. In the mathematical class, forty 
boys are educated for the navy. A number of boys, in 
another class, are taught fine writing by clever writing- 
masters, and are thus prepared to take clerk's places ; twice 
a year samples are exhibited of their performance, which 
really approach to perfection. But I was most delighted 
with the solemn suppers of the children, which take place 
every Sunday evening between Christmas and Easter. 
Persons are admitted with tickets. The great hall of the 
hospital being well lighted up, the children enter, headed 
by their masters, and take their places in the greatest or- 
der round the tables. The governors seat themselves at a 
semicircular table. The supper is frugal, — it consists of 
bread and cheese, served up on wooden trenchers, and 
beer in large tankards. During the repast, one of the chil- 
dren destined for the service of the church, mounts a pul- 
pit and reads a homily. After this lecture, the children 
sing a psalm accompanied by the organ : the reader then 
gives the evening prayers, and when these are concluded 
the children retire. The prayers and the hymns of a thou- 
sand children, the greater part of whom are orphans, 
whose innocent voices are thus raised in grateful praise to 
Providence for its watchful care over their existence, has 
something in it very touching and affecting ; and I remark- 
ed that few of the spectators were unmoved, and that many 
of them left proof of their bounty behind them. 

England, notwithstanding her industry, has many poor, 
because commerce is subject to misfortunes, and is often 
totally ruined by wars ; many individuals are thus plunged 
into misery. A new inviention, other countries forbidding 
the importation of foreign goods, may annihilate one par- 
ticular branch of industry ; and thus throw upon the public 
some thousands of individuals. Besides, the shipwrecks 



SIXTEENTH EVENING. 239 

which annually take place are numerous, and naturally 
consign to the bosom of the deep treasures which were 
destined for the covering of a thousand expenses. Some 
parts of England are unfavourable to commerce, and the 
soil too is, in some places, barren; it is not, therefore, sur- 
prising, that with all her riches England should contain 
also much poverty. 

Thus we may often see the greatest luxury by the side 
of the greatest misery ; and in the capital we may observe 
men whose ingenuity in the arts is surprising; and on the 
other hand, a set of idle people, who live upon the bene- 
volence of their countrymen, present themselves. These 
people have their clubs : a friend of mine went in com- 
pany with another gentleman to visit one of these rendez- 
vous, dressing themselves in old clothes, that they might 
make their^observations more unobservedly. They reached 
a cellar, which was the place appointed for the meeting, 
and announced themselves as members of the Beggar's 
Club ; on which a servant placed a ladder for them to go 
down, but immediately afterwards removed it, that none of 
the company might decamp without paying. In the club- 
room, which was very large, were ten tables, all very 
clean ; to which, by way of precaution, the knives and 
forks were fastened by separate chains. Before the guests 
sat down to table a washerwoman came, according to cus- 
tom, it being Saturday night, to fetch their shirts to be 
washed during supper, which was then brought. When 
it was over, each was asked for his reckoning, which 
amounted to sixpence, washing included. After supper 
the real members of the Beggar's Club, without any mis- 
trust of the two strangers, whom they probably took for 
colleagues from another quarter, proceeded to business. 
In the first place each of them counted the produce of the 



240 



EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 



day ; and my friend assured me there was not one of these 
beggars but what had collected twice or thrice as much 
as an industrious labourer can earn in the time. Having 
settled their financial affairs, each of the members called 
for a pot of porter, and drank to the health of all charita- 
ble souls. The blind struck up a tune, and the others 
began to dance very merrily. My friend was astonish- 
ed to see many who, in the day-time counterfeited the 
part of cripples, display greater agility in this diversion 
than any of the rest. To dancing succeeded songs ; and 
you may easily suppose that these were not remarkable 
either for good taste or decorum. The assembly was not 
yet inclined to break up — punch was ordered ; and some, 
while enjoying their glass, read the newspaper, and gave 
their sentiments respecting the government and ministers. 
It was not till three in the morning that the members of 
the club, tired of drinking and talking politics, departed to 
their respective homes. 

The children laughed heartily at this story, and asked 
how such meetings could be permitted in a well governed 
city. Mr. Oakley replied, that it is but just that every 
individual should be allowed to amuse himself and make 
merry, provided he gives no molestation to others ; and 
that in this point of view all these amusements of the low- 
est classes appeared to him perfectly consistent with hu- 
manity, and with that indulgence which is due to people 
who count so few happy moments in the course of their 
existence. 

Is it true, said Gustavus to Captain Martin, who had 
been an attentive listener this evening, that there are snakes 
in the East Indies, large enough to swallow a tiger? 

Captain Martin. I have never seen a snake swallow a 
tiger; but a friend of mine who had been many years in 



SIXTEENTH EVENING. 241 

that country informed me that he had seen it. He was resid- 
ing at a sort of lodge in the country which commanded a view 
of a clump of trees. He one morning observed the branches 
of one of the trees in violent agitation, although it was quite 
calm. He was about to proceed to the spot to ascertain 
the cause, when his servant prevented "him, declaring that 
a large serpent of the Boa kind was in the tree sporting 
and waiting for prey. Soon a small quadruped passed 
under the tree and was instantly seized by the serpent, who 
threw himself on the animal, snatching him in his mouth 
while he held on to the trunk of the tree with his tail. He 
kept possession of the tree several days, and frequently 
seized his prey in this manner. At last a tiger passed 
under the tree, and was instantly infolded* in the tremendous 
folds of the serpent. The battle was long and severe, but 
the Boa triumphed. When his enemy was dead, he deli- 
berately crushed his bones by twisting himself round the 
carcass, which was finally reduced to a shapeless mass, lu- 
bricated w^th saliva, and swallowed; an operation which 
it required many hours for the serpent to perform. When 
he was thus rendered helpless by distention the inhabitants 
of the place sallied forth and easily despatched him. 

* See cut on page 234. 



VOL. II. 21 



242 ) 



SEVENTEENTH EVENING. 




The following evening Mr. Oakley renewed his recital 
in these words : 

We have now, my children, traversed very nearly the 
four quarters of the globe; 'France alone remains for our 
discussion. You have been in France, and therefore much 
that I have to say to you Tias passed under your own ob- 
servation. At Paris you had the advantage of contemplat- 
ing all that France has produced remarkable in the sciences, 
arts, and commerce. In our excursions together, I pointed 
out to you the perfection to which even the smallest objects 
are brought ; I frequently explained to you the incalculable 
advantage and resources which were the natural result of 
these divers productions. You Jiave also observed and 
will observe more forcibly, should you again visit the Pa- 
risian capital, the urbanity and gentleness of manners for 



SEVENTEENTH EVENINO. 243 

which all ranks of society in Paris are celebrated, and 
which is not to be found in an equal degree in any other 
city in the world. The number of enlightened men which 
this city contains would astonish you, were, your minds 
advanced sufficiently to comprehend their genius and 
pursuits. 

But this city, so brilliant in our days, filled with monu- 
ments of every description, fine establishments, men of 
merit, and the most agreeable society, owes its present 
celebrity to the progressive improvement of ages. Con- 
template for one instant Paris, a poor fishing town in the 
time of Julius Caesar, and then glance at it now as the capi- 
tal of a great kingdom and one of the principal cities in the 
world. 

Yet France w^as always inhabited by an industrious peo- 
ple : the Gauls, though vastly inferior to their conquerors 
the Romans, were acquainted nevertheless with some of the 
arts; they cultivated the earth and even adorned them- 
selves with gold and silver. Some of the provinces contain 
to this day monuments of their ancient religion. The Ro- 
mans, in subduing the Gauls, introduced among them many 
arts of which they were ignorant; and at the same time 
they created wants among that warlike race of which they 
were before ignorant. Luxury then made rapid advances, 
the cities were decorated with temples, baths, and tri- 
umphal arches ; the establishment of schools hastened the 
civilization of the nation ; a commerce between Rome and 
Gaul was established, and the latter soon became one of 
the finest of the Roman Provinces. It is true that the 
corruption of the Roman capital extended itself into all its 
conquered provinces; but fortunately for mankind the 
introduction of the Christian religion stopped its rapid 
progress. The invasions of the barbarous nations extin- 



244 EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 

guished in some degree the light with which the Romans 
had illumined Gaul. Their progress may be likened to that 
of a rapid torrent, which sweeps all before it : whole pro- 
vinces were overwhelmed by them : the Goths entered on 
the south, the Franks on the westf the Burgundians swept 
Burgundy and Franehe Comte ; these were followed by the 
Danes in Normandy. Had it not been for Christianity, 
France would have fallen into its former state of bar- 
barism. While these wars desolated the country and 
cherished the ferocious disposition of the people, the 
monks at the same time silently cultivated literature in the 
retirement of their cloisters. 

The state of warfare in which France was thus engaged 
during many centuries, and the love of glory which has 
always animated the French people, cherished among them 
a martial spirit, which gave rise to a regular institution 
known by the title of chivalry. This institution acquired 
additional lustre during the crusades or the wars in the 
Holy Land.* 

A simple monk in France, by the recitation of the suf- 
ferings endured by the pilgrims on their visit to the Holy 
Sepulchre, so excited not only the French people, but 
other nations, that they followed him in crowds, and he 
set off attended by the most motley company which ever 
assembled for the. capture of the Holy Land. But this 
immense body of men and women perished before they 
reached Palestine. The second army was more fortunate, 
andthe Holy Sepulchre was rescued from the hand of the. 
infidels. In those days a French knight was considered as 
a model for those of other nations. 

* The Translator cannot help observing that Chivahy is consid- 
ered by most antiquarians as being of Gothic origin. 



SEVENTEENTH EVENING. 245 

Brave and religious at the same time, he was terrible to 
those vi^ho would oppress him ; submissive to the authority 
of the church, generous and devoted towards the fair sex, 
and all who were feeble and sought his protection. Arms 
constituted his chief occupation, and martial exercises were 
his supreme delight. Hence, as you may suppose, it was 
perfectly natural to institute solemn assemblies, which 
afforded the nobility an excellent opportunity of preparing 
themselves for real conflicts. To this end were established 
public games or exercises, which were celebrated vv^ith the 
greatest pomp, and known by the appellation of tourna- 
ments. They appear to have been known as early as the 
second dynasty of the French monarchs, though ancient 
chronicles ascribe the invention of them to one Geoffroy, 
Lord of Preuilly, who died in 1066. He was probably the 
first that drew up a system of laws and regulations for 
these games, and rendered them more common and fre- 
quent. Other nations seem to have borrowed tournaments 
from the French, who always excelled in them. The Eng- 
lish conceived a partiality for them under Richard I. ; and 
these sports were introduced at Constantinople, arid into 
the whole Greek empire, in consequence of the crusades, 
which produced a connexion between the French and that 
country, now denominated Turkey in Europe. 

As these tournaments were commonly celebrated with 
great pomp, and were attended with prodigious expense, 
they were given only by princes and ' noblemen of the 
highest rank, either on occasion of some fortunate 
event or public rejoicing. As they were sure to attract 
a vast concourse of people, they were always held in a 
town of sufficient magnitude to contain the knights and 
esquires with their numerous retinue, and to supply what- 
ever was necessary for the subsistence of all the people 

21 * 



246 



ET^NING ENTERTAINMENTS. 



and of the horses which they brought with them. In Ger- 
many a count was obliged to bring six horses, a baron 
four, a knight of the empire three, and a gentleman two. 
It was this that rendered these festivals so brilliant and 
magnificent. At a tournament held at Heidelberg, the 
Count Palatine was attended by ei^ht hundred and twenty- 
eight persons and horses ; Duke Otho of Bavaria had in 
his train two hundred and fifty ; Duke George of Bavaria 
seven hundred and twenty-three ; Frederick, Margrave of 
Brandenburg, eight hundred and six ; and the Margrave of 
Baden one hundred. There were besides at this tournam"ent 
eight hundred horses not belonging to the retinue of those 
princes. 

Some time before the feast, heralds were sent about the 
country to carry a solemn invitation to the knights, named 
by the prince, to partake of the diversion; without this 
no person was admitted. On reaching the place of their 
destination, the knights hung up their shields and coats of 
arms, that the judges might examine whether they were 
worthy of the honour of bearing a part in these contests. 
You must know that in these times, when the laws were 
yet too imperfect to prevent every species of crimes, pub- 
lic opinion was the judge of the actions of individuals, and 
exposed them to universal contempt when they were guilty 
of any misdeed. Thus, those who were guilty of murder, 
treachery, oppression, and even such as had calumniated 
females, were excluded from all tournaments. This was an 
excellent law at a time when it was so easy for the strong 
to oppress or insult the weak. 

On the day appointed for the festival the judges exam- 
ined the arms of the knights, to see that they were con- 
formable to the regulations adopted for the tournament, 
and that the riders were not fastened to their saddles. 



SEVENTEENTH EVENING. 247 

which was prohibited by those laws. Besides the judges 
or umpires, there was a king at arms to preside over the 
conflict, pursuivants to place the combatants, and heralds 
to give the signal when they were to begin and finish. 

Previous to the tournament, the knights went to hear a 
solemn mass, and then repaired to the spot where it was 
to be held. This was usually a spacious open place en- 
closed with barriers, behind which the knights who intend- 
ed to exhibit their prowess were drawn up. The ladies 
and spectators of distinction occupied elevated seats pre- 
pared for the purpose, and in general adorned in the niost 
splendid manner. 

As soon as the signal was given, the barriers were open- 
ed, and the knights, on horseback and armed cap-a-pie, en- 
tered the lists, where they found antagonists whom they 
were to engage. You may easily imagine that each, ani- 
mated by the presence of the illustrious spectators, and the 
remembrance of the glorious achievements of his ancestors, 
exerted his utmost efforts to distinguish himself above his 
rivals. 

When the conflict had lasted some hours, the trumpets 
gave the signal for its cessation; the knights laid aside 
their armour, and partook of a sumptuous entertainment, 
during which the namics of those who, in the opinion of the 
judges, had exhibited the greatest proofs of valour, were 
proclaimed, and prizes were awarded them. These prizes, 
consisting of armour richly decorated, gold chains, <&c. 
were commonly delivered to the conquerors by females of 
the highest distinction and beauty. 

Though the inventors of tournaments and their regula- 
tions seem to have taken all sorts of precautions necessary 
for preventing the mischiefs that were liable to result from 
them, yet frequently fatal effects ensued from the heat of 



248 EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 

battle, or the hatred and jealousy of the combatants : for 
there were some who were not sufficiently masters of 
themselves to prevent their being hurried away by passion 
and the desire of victory ; and who, not strictly observing 
the prescribed rules, did all that lay in their power to 
overthrow their adversaries in what manner soever it 
might be. Others availed themselves of these opportu- 
nities to be avenged on their enemies. Besides, the heavy 
armour in which the knights were clad rendered a fall 
from a horse ahnost always fatal. Numberless accidents 
of this kind which happened at tournaments are recorded 
in history. 

On one of these occasions a Count de C4uines, named 
Raoul, lost his life; Robert of Jerusalem, Count of Flan- 
ders, was mortally wounded; Geoffry de Magneville, Earl 
of Essex, was killed in 1216; Florent Count of Hainault, 
and Philip Count of Boulogne and Clermont, likewise 
perished in a tournament held in the town of Corbie in 
1223; John Duke of Brabant perished in 1294. The 
Belgian Chronicle relates that in 1240 a tournament was 
held at Neuss, near Cologne, in which sixty knights and 
esquires lost their lives, being most of them suffocated 
with the dust. In a tournament held at Darmstadt, seven- 
teen Frenchmen and nine Hessians were killed. The popes 
therefore prohibited these games, at the same time excom- 
municating all those who should engage in them ; but- such 
was the ardour of the nobiUty for opportunities of display- 
ing their valour in time of peace, that no papal bull or ana- 
thenia was capable of putting a stop to them. The greater 
the number of these tournaments a knight had assisted at, 
the higher was his reputation for valour and dexterity. 
John of Brabant, who, as I have observed, lost his life in 
1294, had borne a part in seventy tournaments, in France, 



SEVENTEENTH EVENING. 249 

England, and Germany, as well as in other distant coun- 
tries. 

At first, tournaments were only an amusement, and 
therefore none but innocent arms were employed; but in 
the sequel, a game was adopted in which the combatants 
made use of warlike weapons, that is, with lances and 
swords, the points and edges of which were not blunted. 
These combats were called mortal (armes a oiitrances), 
because they scarcely ever terminated without effusion of 
Wood, or the death of one of those who entered the lists, 
unless he who was unhorsed v/ould acknowledge himself 
vanquished: and though so sanguinary, they commonly 
took place between persons who were strangers to each 
other, or at least had no cause of quarrel, but who merely 
sought to display their bravery* address, and their gene- 
rosity. For this reason, general laws and regulations were 
enacted for these dangerous sports, though they were some- 
times infringed by particular agreement. 

There were knights who traversed foreign climes, defy- 
ing all who offered themselves as champions, and challeng- 
ing them to single combat. History has preserved the de- 
fiance which John, Duke of Burgundy, proclaimed in the 
year 1414; it ran thus: — 

'' We, John Duke of Burgundy, desiring to banish idle- 
ness and to advance our honour by the essay of arms, 
in order to acquire a distinguished fame and the favour of 
the beautiful lady of our love, of whom we are servants, 
have made a vow to wear, with sixteen other knights and 
esquires, a prisoner's fetter upon the left leg, suspended to 
a chain which shall be gold for the knights and silver for the 
esquires, upon every Sunday for the next two years, be- 
ginning from the Sunday after the date of these presents, 
unless we can find an equal number of knights and esquires 



^' 



250 



EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS, 



without reproach, who \vill fight us to the end (outrance) 
armed with such arms as he shall please, bearing a lance, 
a hatchet, a sword, and a dagger; upon condition that 
those, on our part, who shall be vanquished, shall be quit, 
by presenting, each of them, a chain like those w^e wear; 
and the opposite party, who shall be vanquished, shall each 
be quit, for a bracelet of gold given to the knight, and one 
of silver to the esquires." 

Heralds were frequently sent to distant countries to pro- 
claim the challenges of princes and knights. During the 
reign of Henry VI. of England, a knight of Arragon came 
to London and caused public proclamation to be made, that 
he would engage in mortal combat with any knight or es- 
quire for the honour and service of his master, the king of 
Arragon and Sicily; that not having found in France any 
person who would enter the lists with him, he had come 
to England to accomplish his enterprise, on condition that 
the conqueror should carry av/ay in token of victory the 
helmet or sword of the vanquished. An English gentle- 
man of the name of Astley accepted the challenge, and the 
combat took place in the presence of the king ; but I know 
not how it terminated. When Maximilian, emperor of 
Germany, presided for the first time at the diet of the em- 
pire held at Worms, a valiant knight, named Claude de 
Born, and sent by the king of France, arrived in that city, 
suspended his sword under the windows of the inn, and 
by his herald at arms challenged any German knight to 
combat with him, on condition that the vanquished should 
be the prisoner of the conqueror, and pay him a ransom 
worthy of a knight. Though there were many knights of 
tried bravery at the court of the Emperor and of the other 
princes, yet none of them durst venture to accept the chal- 
lenge of this stranger, whose renown had spread far and 



SEVENTEENTH EVENING. 251 

wide. At length, the emperor fearmg lest the honour of 
his nation should be tartiished if the challenge of the fo- 
reign knight remained unanswered, resolved to accept it 
. himself, and accordingly caused his shield, with the arms of 
Austria and Burgundy, to be suspended beside that of the 
French knight. It was agreed that the combat should take 
place in nine days. That time being elapsed the two cham- 
pions entered the lists, well armed, and provided with 
lances and. swords. Each maintained profound silence, 
and awaited the signal for rushing upon his adversary. 
The trumpet having sounded for the third time, they 
attacked each other with such fury that their lances were 
broken against their breast-plates. They immediately drew 
their swords, and were closely engaged for some time, till 
the emperor received from the stranger so severe a blow 
as to cleave his armour. So far from being daunted by 
this accident, the emperor rushed with fresh ardour upon 
his- antagonist, returned blow for blow, and at length ex- 
tended him on the ground. The knight acknowledged 
himself vanquished, and gave his word of honour. to repair 
as a prisoner to the court of the emperor. 

You see by this example that sovereigns themselves 
did not disdain to become parties in these combats. The 
Greek emperor, Manuel Comnenus, fought in person at 
the tournament held at Antioch, and by a single thrust of 
his lance unhorsed two French knights, whom he threw 
to the ground one upon the other. Edward III. of 
England fought in a tournament in the town of Chalons ; 
and Henry II. of France, engaging the Count de Mont- 
gomery at Paris, received a wound in the eye, of which 
he died. 

Though all the combats of knights were in general de- 
nominated tournaments, yet that term was particularly ap- 



252 



EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 



plied to those, where several combatants on each side were 
engaged at the same time, so as to represent the bustle of a 
battle. These.general engagements were followed by single 
combats, which were called jousts. They took place not 
only on occasion of tournaments, but often separately. 
Proclamation was made in the name of the knight who 
proposed them, and who offered to fight any who should 
present themselves, man ta man, at such place and on such 
terms as were mentioned in the challenge. 

Under the head of jousts, may be classed the pas d'armes. 
These were single combats, in which one or more knights 
engaged. ' They chose a place, very often in the open 
fields or a narrow passage, which they undertook to defend 
against all comers. To this end they affixed to one end 
of the lists their own arms with several other shields, each 
of different colours, to denote the kind of combat, and the 
arms that were to be employed. Whoever chose to fight, 
touched one of the shields and hung up his own arms, 
which amounted to a formal proclamation that he accepted 
the challenge. At the pas d'armes given at Paris by the 
Duke de Valois and nine knights, in honour of the marriage 
of Louis XII. five shields were suspended by the side of 
a triumphal arch; one of them was of gold, another of 
silver, a third of black, and each specified a kind of combat 
usual at that time. By these shields were stationed officers 
at arms, to take down the names of those by whom the 
challenge was accepted. 

Among these exercises I must not forget to notice the 
game called quintaine; which, without being attended with 
the least danger, afforded an amusement that was advanta- 
geous even to knights, especially to those who had occasion 
to make themselves expert in the use of arms. In this game 
they tilted with a lance at a wooden image, which repre- 



SEVENTEENTH EVENING. 253 

sented a knight and turned round on a pivot. This statue 
had two long arms, and held a stick in one hand and a flour- 
sack in the other. If, instead of hitting exactly in the 
middle of the body, any one touched it on one side, this 
figure turned round, and either gave him for his awkward- 
ness a smart rap with the stick, or a powdering with the 
flour-sack, which occasioned a general burst of laughter 
among the spectators. 

The knights had other kinds of combats besides these 
jousts andp«5 (Tarmes; but it would be too long to enter 
into particulars relative to each of these subjects. What 
I have this evening told you will be sufficient to give you 
an idea of the age of chivalry, which produced such 
splendid achievements, and men of such energetic cha- 
racter, that the books which relate their history, whether 
truly or falsely, became popular throughout Europe, and 
are still read with delight both by old and young. The 
use of arms was almost the only instruction the youth of 
those days received ; and you will easily imagine that a 
young man, who passed all his time with his horses and 
his grooms, could not have a mind very much cultivated, 
nor very polished manners. The ignorance of mankind in 
those distant periods was extreme ; and their general mode 
of conduct was more loyal and brave than agreeable and 
courteous. 

A young nobleman (a beaux) of some centuries gone by, 
being one day asked what he knew, he replied, " I know 
how to hunt with the hawk and the falcon, chase the stag, 
pursue the wild boar, to blow the horn when the beast is 
taken, to carve at the table of a king or lord, and play at 
chess." 

Gustav, A very gallant display of useful talents truly ! 

Mr, O. This accomplished youth resembles some of our 
VOL. II. 22 



254 EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 

young people, who imagine they can dispense with further 
instruction as soon as they possess a few of the talents 
which amuse society. 

As society became more civilized, the feudal wars 
ceased; the execution of justice was entrusted to the king, 
and chivalry then became useless : besides, the invention of 
gunpowder has changed the whole system of war. 

The authority of royalty increased as the inordinate 
power of the nobles diminished ; and kings forming regular 
armies, the military power was solely established in their 
hands. 

Some traces, however, of chivalry remained for ages 
after its decline, particularly in France, and the fetes given 
by Henry the Fourth and Louis the Fourteenth, under the 
name of carousels, were, in fact, the shadows of the ancient 
tournaments. Cavalcades of several noblemen, dressed in 
the costume of the ancient knights, took a part in these 
amusements ; they were divided into quadrilles, each re- 
presenting a foreign people ; such as Greeks, Romans, 
Turks, (fee, having as their leader some distinguished 
personage. These quadrilles performed jousts, or repre- 
sented dramatically some particular event, celebrated either 
in fable or real life. The games concluded with all kinds 
of diversions on horseback and on foot. 

In order to give his children a more perfect idea of these 
fetes Mr. Oakley showed them in that work known as the 
^•^ Cabinet du Boi,^^ the beautiful engravings of Chauveau, 
representing the magnificent carnival given in 1662, at 
Paris, by Louis the Fourteenth ; and he promised them, 
that if he ever visited Paris again, that they should see the 
beautiful coloured drawings in the " Bihliotheque Hoyale^'^ 
executed by Rene of Provence, in which everything is 
represented, relative to tournaments, with the greatest ex- 
actness. 



SEVENTEENTH EVENING. 255 

Even to these days, added Mr. Oakley, many of the 
towns of France have preserved some remains of the an- 
cient military games. Most of the principal cities, before 
the revolution, had companies for the use of the bow, the 
crossbow, and the arquebuse. Dijon had a company for 
each of these games. A meadow, belonging to the knights, 
in the neighbourhood of this town, served as the area for 
their sports. Sometimes prizes were proposed, and other 
cities were invited to contend for them. A review of the 
militia sometimes recalled those times when men assisted 
in the defence of their native city if besieged. At Autun, 
this review was performed with great splendour and so- 
lemnity upon the first of September. The cavalcade set 
out from the hotel of the mayor, who was called upon this 
occasion the Vierg. The different companies defiled from 
thence, having their mayor at their head, the Serjeants of 
the city in their long red cloaks, and a man in ancient 
armour bearing the standard of the city ; the magistrates 
in full dress, followed by the Vierg holding in his hand the 
staff of command, and who was escorted by knights in long 
robes, closed the procession. The cavalcade then repaired 
to a plain without the city, and after the review they ar- 
ranged themselves in battle array in the public square. 
There a small fort was constructed of green branches, seve- 
ral companies repaired to its defence, while others attacked 
it. Guns were fired, and pasteboard grenades were thrown 
by each party, filled with fireworks. From the noise, the 
assault resembled a real attack; but everything passed off 
very cheerfully. At night the fort capitulated, and a ban- 
quet, given at the town hall, re-united the besieged and the 
besiegers. This was a custom general in other countries 
besides France. 

There are some works of antiquity in the South of 



256 EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 

France richly deserving of attention. The Pont du Gard,^ 
one of the most stupendous monuments remaining of the 
genius of ancient Rome, is about seven leagues from Nimes, 
nearly on the Paris route. The grandeur of this edifice 
vanishes in description and detail. The best idea of it is 
given by Rousseau, who yet but gives his own sensations. 
'* I came," says he, " prepared to behold a monument 
worthy of the hands which reared it. For the first time in 
my life, the reality surpassed my expectations ; and it be- 
longed only to the Romans to produce this effect. The 
aspect of this simple and noble work struck me the more, 
that it is in the midst of a desert in which silence and soli- 
tude render the object more striking, and admiration more 
lively. One asks himself, what force can have transported 
these enormous stones so far from any quarry, and brought 
together the strength of arm of thousands of men, where 
there is not one man now ? I went over the three stories 
of this superb edifice with a sentiment of respect which 
made me almost fear to tread it; the echoes of my foot- 
steps beneath its immense vaults seemed as if I heard the 
strong voice of those masters of the world who had built it." 
This prodigy of art is not a bridge, as the French name 
would lead us to suppose, but an aqueduct, across the river 
Gardon, composed of three several structures, one above 
the other, of which the arcades successively diminish in 
space, and increase in number. The first range has six 
arched openings, 83 toises long, and lOtoises 2 feet high; 
the second range has 11 arches of the same height as tjiat 
beneath, but the range is 133 toises two feet in length; 
the range consists of thirty-five arches or arcades, on a 
scale smaller by five to one ; and this was the canal or 

* See cut on page 242. 



SEVENTEENTH EVENING. 257 

aqueduct, four feet in height, five feet in breadth, its side 
walls or parapets two feet six inches thick, its sides incrust- 
ed with a layer of cement three inches thick, and a coat of 
red paint over, and its bed of mixed pebbles, sand, and 
lime, eight inches thick, as new as if it were the work of 
the last age: the whole joined two lofty heights, and car- 
ried the waters of the Uzes to ancient Nimes. 

I could greatly extend my descriptions respecting the 
manners and customs of nations, but the period of our 
evening conversations is arrived. What I have endea- 
voured to describe has, I trust, made so much impres- 
sion upon your minds as to lead you to observe minutely 
the progress and benefits of industry, in whatever country 
it may be your lot to sojourn. That which the genius of 
man has executed for the good of society, and that which 
remains to be done for the same benevolent purpose, you 
will, I trust, be able to discern and appreciate, and as far 
as lies in your power to second. Happy, my children, 
will you be, should it come within your humble sphere to 
ameliorate the fate of those of your fellow creatures who 
are doomed to contend with misfortune and to struggle 
with adversity. 

Mr. Oakley, as he concluded these words, rose and em- 
braced his children, and then retired. The day following 
was occupied in preparations for the departure of Gustavus 
and Caroline : it was not without a pang that these two 
amiable children quitted the paternal roof, where they had 
spent so many happy days with their father, brothers, and 
sister. Yet were their feelings under the control of reason, 
for they were not ignorant that they had attained that age, 
when it was necessary they should prepare for their entrance 
into the world by quitting the house of their father ; as 
some recompense for this trial, they softened the pangs of 



258 EVENING ENTERTAINMENTS. 

absence by writing affectionate letters to their friends, de- 
tailing to them their actions and sentiments. Mr. Oakley 
and the three children who remained with him in their 
turn gave an accurate account of all that passed in the pa- 
ternal mansion ; it was in this delightful and mutual ex- 
change of letters that the time partly glided away which 
Mr. Oakley had appropriated to the education of his elder 
children. He then introduced them into the world, and 
having bestowed the same care and attention upon the 
younger parts of his family, this excellent father had the 
satisfaction of witnessing the good fruits of his paternal 
labours, and the happiness his live children justly merited 
in common with all those who contribute to that of their 
parents. 



NOTES. 



NOTE A. PAGE 137. FIRST SERIES. 

Our young" readers will probably be curious to know what was 
the fate of La Perouse and his companions. The following" extract 
from the article La Perouse in that admirable repository of useful 
information, the Encyclopaedia Americana, affords a summary of 
what has transpired since the expedition of D'Entrecasteaux. 

"In 1825 the attention of the public was excited towards this 
mysterious affair by a notice published by the French minister of 
the marine, purporting that an American captain had declared that 
he had seen, in the hands of one of the natives of an island in the 
tract between Louisiade and New Caledonia, a cross of the order of 
St. Louis, and some medals, which appeared to have been pro. 
cured from the shipwreck of La Perouse. In consequence of this 
information, the commander of a vessel which sailed from Toulon, 
in April, 1826, on a voyage of discovery, received orders to make 
researches in the quarter specified, in order to restore to their 
country any of the shipwrecked crew who might yet remain in 
existence. Other intelligence, relative to the wreck of two large 
vessels on two different islands of the New Hebrides, was obtained by 
captain Dilten, the commander of an English vessel at Tucopia in 
his passage from Valparaiso to Pondicherry, in May, 1826, in con- 
sequence of wVich he was sent back to ascertain the truth of the 
matter. The facts discovered by him on this mission, were that 
the two ships struck on a reef at Malhcolo, 11° 4' S. latitude, 169° 
20' E. longitude; one of them immediately went down, and all on 
board perished; some of the crew of the other escaped, part of 
whom were murdered by the savages; the remainder built a small 
vessel, and set sail from Mallicolo; but what became of them is not 
known/' 



NOTE B. PAGE 194. FIRST SERIES. 
Mr. Depping has fallen into some errors respecting Sir William 
Phips, the adventurer referred to in the above cited page. 



260 NOTES. 

The following account, which will farnish an ample correction, is 
copied from the Encylopaedia Americana. 

" Sir William Phips, governor of Massachusetts, was born at 
Pemagoiol, Feb. 2, 1650. He was one of twenty-six children, 
twenty-one of whom were sons. His father died when he was a 
child. He then bound himself to a ship-carpenter, and, in due 
time, engaged in the business on his own account. He was so il- 
literate as not to be able to read or write; but he soon acquired 
knowledge sufficient for the purposes of common life, and was 
fortunate enough to connect himself, by marriage, with a young 
widow of a respectable family. In 1683, he sailed from England, 
in search of a Spanish vessel which had been wrecked near the 
Bahamas: having gone to the mother country on hearing of the cir- 
cumstance, and solicited means for the expedition, he was supplied 
with two frigates by the admiralty, but failed of success. Nothing 
discouraged, however, he made fresh importunities for means of 
making a second attempt, which were given to him by the duke of 
Albemarle. He discovered the wreck and brought from it £300,000, 
£16,000 of which were appropriated to his share. He was also 
knighted by the king, andappointedhigh-sheriff of New England. 
After residing for a time in that capacity at Boston, he retui'ned to 
England in consequence of some disagreement with two other 
functionaries, by which his situation was rendered uncomfortable. 
In 1690, he captured Port Royal, but was not so fortunate in the 
expedition against Quebec. In the same year, he was* chosen by 
tlie freemen a magistrate of the colony. He did not remain long 
in Boston, but repaired to England to sohcit an expedition to Cana- 
da. At that time, the agents of Massachusetts were soliciting a 
restoration of their old charter from king William; but tliis bein^ 
refused, and a new one given, Sir Wilham was appointed captain- 
general and governor-in-chief of the province. 

"He discharged the duties of his office with fidelity. His impe- 
tuous temper, however, sometimes involved him in quarrels, and 
complaints were made against him, which he was sent for to answer. 
" He justified himself, and was about to return to his government, 
when he was taken sick and died in London, about the middle of 
February, 1694. He was a blunt, honest man, ardent in everything 
wliich he undertook, open-hearted and generous, but vulgar in 
speech and manners. His talents were considerable." 



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